Synonyms of severity

severity

noun

sə-ˈver-ə-tē 

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

• hardness
• strictness
• sternness
• rigidity
• harshness
• stringency
• inflexibility
• rigidness
• resolve
• rigor
• rigorousness
• determination
• exactingness
• gruffness
• callousness
• firmness
• implacability
• obduracy
• dourness
• steadfastness
• pitilessness
• hard-heartedness
• stubbornness
• obstinacy
• monasticism
• obdurateness
• asceticism
• austereness
• austerity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flexibility
• tolerance
• gentleness
• tenderness
• patience
• softness
• kindness
• mildness
• indulgence
• willingness
• forbearance
• laxness
• responsiveness
• compliance
• lenience
• pliability
• pliancy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of severity

The government says hundreds of police officers have also been wounded but has not detailed the severity of their injuries. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Another neighbor, Phyllis Irvin, described the severity of the injuries and the frightening moments following the gunfire. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Hiroshima was, in fact, especially notorious for its criminal gangs, probably because its near-total destruction had disrupted civilian life with particular severity. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

The severity of their exposure was corroborated by the short life of cats, who feasted on the factory’s omnipresent rodents. — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026