1. (adj.)severe harsh; unnecessarily extreme: severe criticism.
2. severe serious or stern in manner or appearance.
3. severe grave; critical: a severe illness.
4. severe rigidly restrained in style, taste, etc.; plain; austere.
5. severe of an extreme, intense, or violent character or nature: severe thunderstorms.
6. severe difficult to endure, perform, fulfill, etc.: a severe test of strength.
7. severe rigidly exact; demanding: severe standards.
Etymology: (1540–50; < L sevērus, or back formation from severity)
Definition of 'severe'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (adj)severe, terrible, wicked intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality "severe pain"; "a severe case of flu"; "a terrible cough"; "under wicked fire from the enemy's guns"; "a wicked cough"
2. (adj)hard, knockout, severe very strong or vigorous "strong winds"; "a hard left to the chin"; "a knockout punch"; "a severe blow"
3. (adj)austere, severe, stark, stern severely simple "a stark interior"
4. (adj)severe, spartan unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment "a parent severe to the pitch of hostility"- H.G.Wells; "a hefty six-footer with a rather severe mien"; "a strict disciplinarian"; "a Spartan upbringing"
5. (adj)dangerous, grave, grievous, serious, severe, life-threatening causing fear or anxiety by threatening greatharm "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"; "a life-threatening disease"
6. (adj)severe very bad in degree or extent "a severe worldwide depression"; "the house suffered severe damage"
1. (adjective)severe extremely bad, unpleasant, or serious a severe storm/illness; He was in severe pain.; The damage was severe.
2. severe extremely strict severe criticism; The punishment for disobeying was severe.; severely damaged; She spoke to the students severely.; the severity of the earthquake
Definition of 'severe'
Webster Dictionary
1. severe serious in feeeling or manner; sedate; grave; austere; not light, lively, or cheerful
2. severe very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh; not mild or indulgent; rigorous; as, severe criticism; severe punishment
3. severe 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
4. severe sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as, severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold
5. severe difficult to be endured; exact; critical; rigorous; as, a severe test
Definitions of severe 
Afrikaans: erge
Arabic: شَديد، خَطير
Bulgarian: остър
Brazilian: sério
Czech: vážný
German: schlimm
Danish: alvorlig
Greek: σοβαρός
Spanish: grave, serio
Estonian: äge, raske
Farsi: سخت
Finnish: vakava
French: grave
Hebrew: חָמוּר
Hindi: कठोर, कड़ा, सख्त
Croatian: ozbiljan, opasan
Hungarian: komoly
Indonesian: parah
Icelandic: alvarlegur
Italian: grave, serio
Japanese: 深刻な
Korean: 심각한
Lithuanian: aštrus, didelis, sunkus
Latvian: smags; nopietns
Malay: teruk
Dutch: ernstig
Norwegian: alvorlig, hard, voldsom
Polish: poważny
Persian: سخت
Pashto: كلك، شديد، سخت، خطر ناك: 
Portuguese: sério
Romanian: grav
Russian: серьёзный, тяжёлый
Slovak: vážny; ťažký
Slovenian: težek
Serbian: ozbiljan
Swedish: svår
Thai: เลวร้ายมาก; อย่างหนัก
Turkish: çok kötü, ağır
Taiwanese: 嚴重的
Ukrainian: тяжкий, серйозний
Urdu: سخت، شدید
Vietnamese: gay go, khốc liệt
Chinese: 严重的
