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
The National Weather Service has not confirmed how many tornadoes touched down yet, or their size and severity.
—
Cheyenne Derksen, Oklahoman, 6 Mar. 2026
Willett agreed that the severity of winters generally balances out across decades.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
An entire group races one after another, and their performance is adjusted by a percentage based on the severity of their impairment(s).
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The severity of McBride’s injury put more emphasis on the Knicks front office to fill the void behind Brunson.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
Cheyenne Derksen, Oklahoman, 6 Mar. 2026
Willett agreed that the severity of winters generally balances out across decades.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
An entire group races one after another, and their performance is adjusted by a percentage based on the severity of their impairment(s).
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The severity of McBride’s injury put more emphasis on the Knicks front office to fill the void behind Brunson.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severity
Noun
-
One involved the radiation hardness of silicon sensors at cryogenic temperatures, referred to in physics as the Lazarus effect.—
Liz Wegerer,
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Diamond grit is used by industrial manufacturers — including in the semiconductor, automotive and energy sectors — for its hardness properties.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And there’s little strictness about ideological consistency.—
Charles Duhigg,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
His mother’s strictness helped Harewood avoid getting caught up in selling drugs.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Saura had a large sense of the humor, which struck those who got to know him, belying the sternness of his public visage with his playful banter and frequent chuckle.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Reiter achieves this impressive combination by building its mini-bus-like body from carbon fiber, delivering an empty vehicle cabin with high torsional rigidity, a very low weight and a roof capacity up to 1,100 lb (500 kg).—
C.C. Weiss
March 05,
New Atlas,
5 Mar. 2026
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This trend rejects rigidity in favor of free-form seating that doesn't box users in and force them into prescribed spots.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sunlight naturally sanitizes, and air drying prevents the harshness of high heat.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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The tinted visor that Morgan Geekie wore for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in January could help mute the lights’ harshness.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These rules were enforced with various levels of stringency throughout the week, but several journalists complained of having to argue with security staff in order to bring in innocuous items such as laptops and cosmetics.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
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The administration says that this risk model is too cautious, leading to costly conservatism in reactor design, staffing redundancies and stringency in licensing.—
Katy Huff,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The frustration is in the inflexibility.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The Red Sox could also try to move on from Masataka Yoshida, though his contract, injury history and positional inflexibility will hamper his trade value.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Aristidou utilizes Danae, whose controlling dad suffocates her with his seemingly overbearing rigidness, as a counterpoint to the other extreme of fatherhood.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Severity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severity. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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