as in hardness
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
even though no one expected the film to be a hit with the critics, the director was taken aback by the severity of the criticism
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of severity
As Hurricane Melissa rages across Jamaica, even those reporting the news have been struck by the severity of the storm that has officially been marked a category 5 — the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
—
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 28 Oct. 2025
The probability and severity of a strike depend on factors such as whale density, vessel traffic, and the size and speed of boats.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Barron’s role could change fast, too, depending on the severity of Surtain’s shoulder injury.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severity
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 28 Oct. 2025
The probability and severity of a strike depend on factors such as whale density, vessel traffic, and the size and speed of boats.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Barron’s role could change fast, too, depending on the severity of Surtain’s shoulder injury.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severity
Noun
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Li, a writer whose stories are compressed and deceptively simple, spoke with humor and a certain hardness, perhaps born of the clarity of unimaginable loss.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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Finally, impact strength assesses a material’s ability to absorb sudden shocks without shattering, highlighting that the hardness alone doesn’t always mean toughness.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The attorneys speaking with all pointed out that this regulation is in its early days, and the strictness or severity of state reviews of health care private equity transactions is yet to be determined.—
Aman Kidwai,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
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Still, states vary in their strictness.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That rigidity probably explains why Gospodinov chooses, against all evidence, to call the book a novel.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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The rigidity that had robbed her of movement began to ease off.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Middleton aimed to create a score that reflects the harshness and hope of the desert setting.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Oct. 2025
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The harshness of the language and the raw politicking shocked voters.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Reportedly, a final deal between the U.S. and the EU was held up over Trump’s distaste for the stringency of the Digital Services Act, a regulation that aims to make the internet safer and more transparent for EU citizens and consumers.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Sep. 2025
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Further, Minnesota agencies that oversee mining have upheld the stringency of those standards when challenged by mining opponents in court.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But there is also such a thing as being too good, where your own purity takes precedence over all else, leading to inflexibility and inaction.—
Shadi Hamid,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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An impressive defensive coach, he has occasionally been criticized for a certain regular season inflexibility in his rotations and overplaying his best contributors.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Severity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severity. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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