severe
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- strict, austere, cruel, drastic, hard, harsh, oppressive, rigid, unbending
- grim, forbidding, grave, serious, stern, tight-lipped, unsmiling
- intense, acute, extreme, fierce
- plain, austere, classic, restrained, simple, Spartan, unadorned, unembellished, unfussy

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Antonyms: tender, tolerant, mild
Contrasted words: easy, easygoing, gentle, mild, soft, clement, forbearing, indulgent, lax, lenient, merciful, balmy, calm, equable, moderate, temperate
Related Words: exacting, heavy-handed, onerous, oppressive, disciplined, iron-willed, self-disciplined, inflexible, restrictive, rigid, rigorous, strict, stringent, uncompromising, unyielding, serious, sober, stern, crimpy, unpleasant, forbidding, hostile, inhospitable, bleak, disagreeable, grim, painful, raw, sharp, smart, blistering, extreme, intense, savage, blustering, blustery, stormy, wintry, consequential, dear, sore

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English Thesaurus: bad, poor, not very good, disappointing, negative, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

se‧vere S3 W3 /səˈvɪə, sɪˈvɪə $ -ˈvɪr/ adjective
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: sévère, from Latin severus]

1. VERY SERIOUS severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad or very serious:
His injuries were quite severe.
She’s suffering from severe depression.
The US faces severe economic problems.
The storm caused severe damage.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say an injury, a problem etc is serious rather than severe:
His injuries were quite serious.

2. WEATHER severe weather is very bad and very extreme, and very hot, dry, cold etc

3. PUNISHMENT a severe punishment is very strict or extreme:
Drug smugglers can expect severe penalties.

4. CRITICISM severe criticism is very extreme and shows that you think someone has done something very badly:
The president came under severe criticism for his handling of the crisis.

5. DIFFICULT very difficult and needing a lot of effort and skill:
The negotiations will be a severe test of his abilities.

6. PERSON someone who is severe behaves in a way that does not seem friendly or sympathetic, and is very strict or disapproving Synonym : stern:
His slightly severe expression softened.

7. PLAIN very plain with little or no decoration:
a rather severe red-brick building
—severity /səˈverəti, sɪˈverəti/ noun [uncountable and countable]:
We didn’t realize the severity of her illness.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

severe
adj.
VERBS be, seem, sound | become | remain
ADV. especially, exceptionally, extremely, particularly, really, unusually, very an exceptionally severe frost
increasingly | fairly, moderately, quite, relatively women affected by mild to moderately severe symptoms
enough, sufficiently Cases of plant poisoning severe enough to warrant hospital admission are rare.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

severe

severe damage
The blast caused severe damage to the surrounding buildings.
severe problems/difficulties
The clothing industry has experienced severe problems in recent years.
a severe injury/illness
She had suffered severe head injuries.
severe pain
He was in severe pain and unable to call for help.
severe depression
He suffered from severe depression when he was younger.
a severe case (=of a medical condition)
Hospitalization is necessary in severe cases.
a severe blow (=an event that has a very bad effect)
The closure of the mine was a severe blow to the country’s economy.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

severe
adjective
1.
DUBIOUS: My parents weren't at all severe with me. In fact, I was allowed to do what I liked.
GOOD: My parents weren't at all strict with me. In fact, I was allowed to do what I liked.

Usage Note:
severe = not kind or friendly; showing no humour or sympathy: 'Mr Cameron's angry voice and severe expression used to frighten the children.'
strict = demanding that rules or laws are always obeyed: 'Teachers have to be strict or the children take advantage of them.' 'The company is very strict about employees getting to work on time.'

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2.
BAD: There are severe rules as to what you can wear to school.
GOOD: There are strict rules as to what you can wear to school.

Usage Note:
When severe refers to punishment, criticism, damage, etc, it means 'harsh': 'Driving while drunk could endanger other people's lives, so penalties are severe.' 'This non-intervention policy has attracted severe criticism.'
To describe a rule or law that must always be obeyed, use strict : 'The deer and other animals in the park are protected by strict laws.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

bad not good:
a bad idea
His behaviour is getting worse.
poor not as good as it could be or should be:
A poor diet can lead to ill health.
his poor performance at school
not very good not good – often used instead of saying directly that something was ‘bad’, especially when you were disappointed by it:
The film wasn’t very good.
disappointing not as good as you hoped or expected:
Her exam results were disappointing.
a disappointing start to the campaign
negative bad – used when talking about the bad result or effect of something:
All the publicity had a negative impact on sales.
the negative effects of climate change
undesirable formal bad and not wanted:
The policy had some undesirable consequences.
drug abuse and other undesirable behaviour
unfavourable formal unfavourable conditions are not good for doing something:
The boat race was cancelled because of unfavourable weather.
awful/terrible/dreadful especially British English very bad:
The movie was awful.
Her house is in a terrible state.
a dreadful crime
horrible very bad, especially in a way that shocks or upsets you:
He describes prison as ‘a horrible place’.
It was a horrible exprerience.
disgusting smelling or tasting very bad:
The food was disgusting.
The fish smelled disgusting.
lousy /ˈlaʊzi/ informal very bad or disappointing:
The weather has been lousy all week.
I’m fed up with this lousy job.
ghastly /ˈɡɑːstli $ ˈɡæstli/ British English informal very bad:
I’ve had a ghastly day.
a ghastly mistake
severe severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad and serious:
The country faces severe economic problems.
severe delays
He suffered severe head injuries in a car crash.
atrocious/appalling/horrendous extremely bad in a way that is shocking:
Her behaviour has been absolutely atrocious.
The country has an appalling human rights record.
abysmal /əˈbɪzməl/ very bad and of a very low standard:
The team’s performance was abysmal.
the abysmal conditions in some prisons

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

serious very bad – used about problems, accidents, illnesses, or crimes:
Violent crime is a serious problem in and around the capital.
The boy was taken to hospital with serious head injuries.
Fortunately, the damage to the car was not serious.
severe very serious – used about problems, injuries, and illnesses:
He suffered severe injuries in a car crash.
The problem became so severe that they had to bring water in from other countries.
severe epilepsy
grave used about a situation that is very serious and worrying, especially because it is dangerous or seems likely to get worse:
A thick fog descended and I knew that we were in grave danger.
The situation is grave – war now seems inevitable.
acute used about an illness, problem, or situation that has become very serious or dangerous, and needs to be dealt with quickly:
She was taken to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis.
In San Diego, the shortage of skilled workers is acute.
desperate used about a situation or problem that is very serious or dangerous, especially because a lot of people need urgent help:
The situation is desperate – people here need aid before the harsh winter sets in.
The hospital is full of people in desperate need of medical attention.
critical used about a situation that is very serious and dangerous and might get worse suddenly:
In 1991, the food supply situation became critical.
Eight people were killed and four are still in a critical condition.
life-threatening used about a situation, illness, or condition in which someone could die:
Her child had a potentially life-threatening illness.
The situation was not life-threatening, but it was very worrying.
be a matter of life and death spoken to be extremely serious – used when a situation is very urgent or important:
For people living with HIV, getting the right treatment is literally a matter of life and death.
solemn very serious because of an important or sad occasion or ceremony:
My father looked solemn, the way grown-ups look at funerals.
The judge read the verdict in a solemn voice.
sombre British English (also somber American English) /ˈsɒmbə $ ˈsɑːmbər/ written sad, quiet, or serious because something unpleasant or worrying has happened or is going to happen:
They sat in sombre silence.
The meeting began in a sombre mood.
earnest very serious and sincere – often used about someone who is young and not very experienced:
He was a rather earnest-looking young man.
‘That’s wrong,’ she said, her voice sounding very earnest.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲