Severe

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: se=vere

CIDE DICTIONARY

Severe, a. [L. severus; perhaps akin to Gr. awe, revered, holy, solemn, Goth. swikns innocent, chaste: cf. F. sévère. Cf. Asseverate, Persevere.].

•  Serious in feeling or manner; sedate; grave; austere; not light, lively, or cheerful.  [1913 Webster]

  "Your looks alter, as your subject does,
  From kind to fierce, from wanton to severe."  [1913 Webster]
•  Very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh; not mild or indulgent; rigorous; as, severe criticism; severe punishment.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

  "Come! you are too severe a moraler."  [1913 Webster]

  "Let your zeal, if it must be expressed in anger, be always more severe against thyself than against others."  [1913 Webster]
•  Rigidly methodical, or adherent to rule or principle; exactly conformed to a standard; not allowing or employing unneccessary ornament, amplification, etc.; strict; -- said of style, argument, etc.  Jer. Taylor.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Latin, a most severe and compendious language."  [1913 Webster]
•  Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as, severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold.  [1913 Webster]
•  Difficult to be endured; exact; critical; rigorous; as, a severe test.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Strict; grave; austere; stern; morose; rigid; exact; rigorous; hard; rough; harsh; censorious; tart; acrimonious; sarcastic; satirical; cutting; biting; keen; bitter; cruel. See Strict.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Severe, adj.
1 rigorous, strict, and harsh in attitude or treatment (a severe critic; severe discipline).
2 serious, critical (a severe shortage).
3 vehement or forceful (a severe storm).
4 extreme (in an unpleasant quality) (a severe winter; severe cold).
5 arduous or exacting; making great demands on energy, skill, etc. (severe competition).
6 unadorned; plain in style (severe dress).

Derivative

severely adv. severity n.

Etymology

F s{eacute}v{egrave}re or L severus

THESAURUS

Severe

Draconian, Herculean, Siberian, Spartan, Spartanic, abrupt, absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, abstruse, acerbic, acid, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, acute, afflictive, aggressive, agonizing, algid, aloof, arbitrary, arctic, arduous, aristocratic, arrogant, ascetic, asperous, astringent, atrocious, austere, authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic, awful, badly, bald, bare, basic, bearish, beastly, below zero, biting, bitter, bitterly cold, bleak, blistering, bluff, blunt, blustering, blustery, boreal, bossy, brash, brisk, brumal, brusque, brutal, burdensome, candid, caustic, cavalier, chaste, churlish, close, cold, cold as charity, cold as death, cold as ice, cold as marble, common, commonplace, complex, constant, cramping, crimpy, crisp, critical, crude, cruel, crusty, curt, cutting, dangerous, delicate, demanding, despotic, dictatorial, difficile, difficult, dire, direct, disagreeable, disciplined, distressing, domineering, double-edged, dour, drastic, dreadful, dry, dull, edged, effortful, elementary, escharotic, essential, even, exact, exacting, excessive, excruciating, exigent, exorbitant, express, extravagant, extreme, faithful, fastidious, fatal, feudal, fierce, fine, flinty, forbidding, formidable, frank, freezing, freezing cold, frigid, fundamental, furious, gelid, glacial, glowering, gnawing, grave, gravely, great, grievous, grim, grinding, griping, gruff, hairy, hard, hard-earned, hard-fought, hardly, harrowing, harsh, harshly, heavy, heavy-handed, hibernal, hiemal, high-handed, homely, homespun, homogeneous, hostile, hurtful, hurting, hyperborean, ice-cold, ice-encrusted, icelike, icy, immoderate, imperative, imperial, imperious, incisive, inclement, indivisible, inerrable, inerrant, inexorable, infallible, inflexible, inhospitable, inhuman, inornate, intemperate, intense, intensely, intricate, iron-willed, irreducible, irritating, jawbreaking, keen, knotted, knotty, laborious, lean, lordly, magisterial, magistral, markedly, masterful, mathematical, matter-of-fact, mean, merciless, mere, meticulous, micrometrically precise, microscopic, modest, monastic, monocratic, monolithic, mordacious, mordant, mortal, mortified, natural, neat, nice, nipping, nippy, no picnic, nose-tickling, not easy, numbing, obdurate, of a piece, onerous, open, operose, oppressive, outrageous, overbearing, overruling, painful, painfully, painstaking, paroxysmal, penetrating, peremptory, piercing, pinching, pinpoint, piquant, pitiless, plain, plain-speaking, plain-spoken, poignant, precise, primal, primary, primitive, prosaic, prosing, prosy, pungent, punishing, punitive, pure, pure and simple, racking, raw, refined, relentless, religious, religiously exact, repressive, restrictive, rigid, rigorous, rigorously, rough, roughly, rugged, rustic, ruthless, savage, scathing, scientific, scientifically exact, self-disciplined, serious, set with thorns, severe, severely, sharp, shooting, short, simon-pure, simple, simple-speaking, single, sleety, slushy, smart, snappy, snippy, sober, sore, sour, spare, sparse, spasmatic, spasmic, spasmodic, spiny, splitting, square, stabbing, stark, steep, stern, stiff, stinging, stone-cold, stony, stormy, straightforward, strait-laced, strenuous, strict, strident, stringent, subtle, subzero, supercooled, suppressive, surly, tart, taxing, terminal, thorny, ticklish, toilsome, tormenting, torturous, tough, trenchant, tricky, truculent, turbulent, tyrannical, tyrannous, unadorned, unaffected, unbending, uncluttered, uncompromising, unconscionable, undecorated, undeviating, undifferenced, undifferentiated, unelaborate, unembellished, unerring, unfancy, unfeeling, unfussy, ungentle, uniform, unimaginative, unornate, unpleasant, unpoetical, unsmiling, unsparing, unsympathetic, unvarnished, unyielding, uphill, vehement, venomous, violent, virulent, vitriolic, weighty, wicked, winterbound, winterlike, wintery, wintry

ROGET THESAURUS

Severe

Plainness

N plainness, simplicity, severity, plain terms, plain English, Saxon English, household words, plain, simple, unornamented, unadorned, unvarnished, homely, homespun, neat, severe, chaste, pure, Saxon, commonplace, matter-of- fact, natural, prosaic, dry, unvaried, monotonous, in plain terms, in plain words, in plain English, in plain common parlance, point-blank.

Severity

N severity, strictness, harshness, rigor, stringency, austerity, inclemency, arrogance, precisianism, arbitrary power, absolutism, despotism, dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression, assumption, usurpation, inquisition, reign of terror, martial law, iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway, tight grasp, brute force, brute strength, coercion, strong hand, tight hand, hard lines, hard measure, tender mercies, sharp practice, pipe-clay, officialism, tyrant, disciplinarian, precisian, martinet, stickler, bashaw, despot, hard master, Draco, oppressor, inquisitor, extortioner, harpy, vulture, accipitres, birds of prey, raptorials, raptors, severe, strict, hard, harsh, dour, rigid, stiff, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, exacting, exigent, exigeant, inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, austere, hard-headed, hard-nosed, hard-shell, relentless, Spartan, Draconian, stringent, strait-laced, searching, unsparing, iron-handed, peremptory, absolute, positive, arbitrary, imperative, coercive, tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial, inclement, cruel, haughty, arrogant, precisian, severely, with a high hand, with a strong hand, with a tight hand, with a heavy hand, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, Delirant reges plectuntur Achivi, manu forti, ogni debole ha sempre il suo tiranno.

Physical Energy

N energy, physical energy, force, power, keenness, intensity, vigor, strength, elasticity, go, high pressure, fire, rush, acrimony, acritude, causiticity, virulence, poignancy, harshness, severity, edge, point, pungency, cantharides, seasoning, activity, agitation, effervescence, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, splutter, perturbation, stir, bustle, voluntary energy, quicksilver, resolution, exertion, excitation, strong, energetic, forcible, active, intense, deep-dyed, severe, keen, vivid, sharp, acute, incisive, trenchant, brisk, rousing, irritation, poignant, virulent, caustic, corrosive, mordant, harsh, stringent, double-edged, double-shotted, double- distilled, drastic, escharotic, racy, potent, radioactive, strongly, fortiter in re, with telling effect, the steam is up, vires acquirit eundo, the race by vigor not by vaunts is won.

Painfulness

N painfulness, trouble, care, trial, affliction, infliction, blow, stroke, burden, load, curse, bitter pill, bitter draught, waters of bitterness, annoyance, grievance, nuisance, vexation, mortification, sickener, bore, bother, pother, hot water, sea of troubles, hornet's nest, plague, pest, cancer, ulcer, sting, thorn, canker, scorpion, dagger, scourge, carking care, canker worm of care, mishap, misfortune, desagrement, esclandre, rub, source of irritation, source of annoyance, wound, open sore, sore subject, skeleton in the closet, thorn in the flesh, thorn in one's side, where the shoe pinches, gall and wormwood, sorry sight, heavy news, provocation, affront, head and front of one's offending, infestation, molestation, malignity, causing pain, hurting, hurtful, painful, dolorific, dolorous, unpleasant, unpleasing, displeasing, disagreeable, unpalatable, bitter, distasteful, uninviting, unwelcome, undesirable, undesired, obnoxious, unacceptable, unpopular, thankless, unsatisfactory, untoward, unlucky, uncomfortable, distressing, afflicting, afflictive, joyless, cheerless, comfortless, dismal, disheartening, depressing, depressive, dreary, melancholy, grievous, piteous, woeful, rueful, mournful, deplorable, pitiable, lamentable, sad, affecting, touching, pathetic, irritating, provoking, stinging, annoying, aggravating, mortifying, galling, unaccommodating, invidious, vexatious, troublesome, tiresome, irksome, wearisome, plaguing, plaguy, awkward, importunate, teasing, pestering, bothering, harassing, worrying, tormenting, carking, intolerable, insufferable, insupportable, unbearable, unendurable, past bearing, not to be borne, not to be endured, more than flesh and blood can bear, enough to drive one mad, enough to provoke a saint, enough to make a parson swear, enough to gag a maggot, shocking, terrific, grim, appalling, crushing, dreadful, fearful, frightful, thrilling, tremendous, dire, heart-breaking, heart-rending, heart-wounding, heart-corroding, heart-sickening, harrowing, rending, odious, hateful, execrable, repulsive, repellent, abhorrent, horrid, horrible, horrific, horrifying, offensive, nauseous, nauseating, disgusting, sickening, revolting, nasty, loathsome, loathful, fulsome, vile, hideous, sharp, acute, sore, severe, grave, hard, harsh, cruel, biting, caustic, cutting, corroding, consuming, racking, excruciating, searching, grinding, grating, agonizing, envenomed, catheretic, pyrotic, ruinous, disastrous, calamitous, tragical, desolating, withering, burdensome, onerous, oppressive, cumbrous, cumbersome, painfully, with pain, deuced, Int, hinc illae lachrymae!, surgit amari aliquid, the place being too hot to hold one, the iron entering into the soul, he jests at scars that never felt a wound, I must be cruel only to be kind, what deep wounds ever closed without a scar?.

Simplicity

N simplicity, plainness, homeliness, undress, chastity, simple, plain, homely, homespun, ordinary, household, unaffected, ingenuous, sincere (artless), free from affectation, free from ornament, simplex munditiis, sans facon, en deshabille, chaste, inornate, severe, unadorned, bare, unornamented, undecked, ungarnished, unarranged, untrimmed, unvarnished, bald, flat, dull, veritatis simplex oratio est.

Symmetry

N symmetry, shapeliness, finish, beauty, proportion, eurythmy, uniformity, parallelism, bilateral symmetry, trilateral symmetry, multilateral symmetry, centrality, arborescence, branching, ramification, arbor vitae, symmetrical, shapely, well set, finished, beautiful, classic, chaste, severe, regular, uniform, balanced, equal, parallel, coextensive, arborescent, arboriform, dendriform, dendroid, branching, ramous, ramose, filiciform, filicoid, subarborescent, papilionaceous, fuji-shaped, fujigata.

Disapprobation

N disapprobation, disapproval, improbation, disesteem, disvaluation, displacency, odium, dislike, dispraise, discommendation, blame, censure, obloquy, detraction, disparagement, depreciation, denunciation, condemnation, ostracism, black list, animadversion, reflection, stricture, objection, exception, criticism, sardonic grin, sardonic laugh, sarcasm, insinuation, innuendo, bad compliment, poor compliment, left-handed compliment, satire, sneer, taunt, cavil, carping, censoriousness, hypercriticism, reprehension, remonstrance, expostulation, reproof, reprobation, admonition, increpation, reproach, rebuke, reprimand, castigation, jobation, lecture, curtain lecture, blow up, wigging, dressing, rating, scolding, trimming, correction, set down, rap on the knuckles, coup de bec, rebuff, slap, slap on the face, home thrust, hit, frown, scowl, black look, diatribe, jeremiad, jeremiade, tirade, philippic, clamor, outcry, hue and cry, hiss, hissing, sibilance, sibilation, catcall, execration, chiding, upbraiding, exprobation, abuse, vituperation, invective, objurgation, contumely, hard words, cutting words, bitter words, evil-speaking, bad language, personality, disapproving, scandalized, disparaging, condemnatory, damnatory, denunciatory, reproachful, abusive, objurgatory, clamorous, vituperative, defamatory, satirical, sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, dry, sharp, cutting, biting, severe, withering, trenchant, hard upon, censorious, critical, captious, carping, hypercritical, fastidious, sparing of praise, grudging praise, disapproved, chid, in bad odor, blown upon, unapproved, unblest, at a discount, exploded, weighed in the balance and found wanting, blameworthy, reprehensible, to blame, worthy of blame, answerable, uncommendable, exceptionable, not to be thought of, bad, vicious, unlamented, unbewailed, unpitied, with a wry face, reproachfully, Int, it is too bad!, it won't do, it will never do!, marry come up!, Oh!, come!, 'sdeath!, forbid it Heaven!, God forbid, Heaven forbid!, out upon, fie upon it!, away with!, tut!, O tempora!, O mores!, shame!, fie, fie for shame!, out on you!, tell it not in Gath!.

Truth

N truth, fact, reality, plain fact, plain matter of fact, nature, truth, verity, gospel, gospel truth, God's honest truth, orthodoxy, authenticity, veracity, correctness, correctitude, accuracy, exactitude, exactness, preciseness, precision, delicacy, rigor, mathematical precision, punctuality, clockwork precision, conformity to rule, nicety, orthology, ipsissima verba, realism, plain truth, honest truth, sober truth, naked truth, unalloyed truth, unqualified truth, stern truth, exact truth, intrinsic truth, nuda veritas, the very thing, not an illusion, real Simon Pure, unvarnished tale, unvarnished truth, the truth the whole truth and nothing but the trut, just the thing, real, actual, veritable, true, right, correct, certain, substantially true, categorically true, definitively true, true to the letter, true as gospel, unimpeachable, veracious, unreconfuted, unconfuted, unideal, unimagined, realistic, exact, accurate, definite, precise, well-defined, just, just so, so, strict, severe, close, literal, rigid, rigorous, scrupulous, religiously exact, punctual, mathematical, scientific, faithful, constant, unerring, curious, particular, nice, delicate, fine, clean-cut, clear-cut, verified, empirically true, experimentally verified, substantiated, proven (demonstrated), rigorously true, unquestionably true, true by definition, genuine, authentic, legitimate, orthodox, official, ex officio, pure, natural, sound, sterling, unsophisticated, unadulterated, unvarnished, unalloyed, uncolored, in its true colors, pukka, well-grounded, well founded, solid, substantial, tangible, valid, undistorted, undisguised, unaffected, unexaggerated, unromantic, unflattering, truly, verily, indeed, really, in reality, with truth, certainly, actually, in effect, exactly, ad amussim, verbatim, verbatim et literatim, word for word, literally, literatim, totidem vervis, sic, to the letter, chapter and verse, ipsissimis verbis, ad unguem, to an inch, to a nicety, to a hair, to a tittle, to a turn, to a T, au pied de la lettre, neither more nor less, in every respect, in all respects, sous tous les rapports, at any rate, at all events, strictly speaking, the truth is, the fact is, rem acu tetigisti, en suivant la verite, ex facto jus oritur, la verita e figlia del empo, locos y ninos dicen la verdad, crazy people and children tell the truth, nihil est veritatis luce dulcius, veritas nunquam perit, veritatem dies aperit, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, just the facts, ma'am, just the facts.