Definitions for severe
səˈvɪərse·vere

Princeton's WordNet(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. severe, terrible, wickedadjective

   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. hard, knockout, severeadjective

   very strong or vigorous

   "strong winds"; "a hard left to the chin"; "a knockout punch"; "a severe blow"

3. austere, severe, stark, sternadjective

   severely simple

   "a stark interior"

4. severe, spartanadjective

   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. dangerous, grave, grievous, serious, severe, life-threateningadjective

   causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm

   "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. severeadjective

   very bad in degree or extent

   "a severe worldwide depression"; "the house suffered severe damage"

Wiktionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. severeadjective

   Very bad or intense.

2. severeadjective

   Strict or harsh.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Severenoun

   Etymology: severe, French; severus, Latin.

   1. Sharp; apt to punish; censorious; apt to blame; hard; rigorous.

   Let your zeal, if it must be expressed in anger, be always more severe against thy self than against others. Taylor.

   Soon mov’d with touch of blame, thus Eve:
   What words have pass’d thy lips, Adam severe? John Milton.

   What made the church of Alexandria be so severe with Origen for, but holding the incence in his hands, which those about him cast from thence upon the altar? yet for this he was cast out of the church. Edward Stillingfleet.

   2. Rigid; austere; morose; harsh; not indulgent.

   Am I upbraided? not enough severe
   It seems, in thy restraint. John Milton.

   In his looks serene,
   When angry most he seem’d and most severe,
   What else but favour shone? John Milton.

   Nor blame severe his choice,
   Warbling the Grecian woes. Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

   3. Cruel; inexorable.

   His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword. Wisd.

   4. Regulated by rigid rules; strict.

   Truth, wisdom, sanctitude, severe and pure,
   Severe, but in true filial freedom plac’d. John Milton.

   5. Exempt from all levity of appearance; grave; sober; sedate.

   Your looks must alter, as your subject does,
   From kind to fierce, from wanton to severe. Edmund Waller.

   6. Not lax; not airy; close; strictly methodical; rigidly exact.

   His grave rebuke,
   Severe in youthful beauty, added grace. John Milton.

   Their beauty I leave it rather to the delicate wit of poets, than venture upon so nice a subject with my severer style. More.

   7. Painful; afflictive.8. Close; concise; not luxuriant.

   The Latin, a most severe and compendious language, often expresses that in one word, which modern tongues cannot in more. Dryden.

   These piercing fires as soft as now severe. John Milton.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Severe

   sē-vēr′, adj. serious: grave: austere: strict: not mild: strictly adhering to rule: free from florid ornamentation, simple: sharp: distressing: inclement: searching: difficult to be endured.—adv. Sēvēre′ly.—ns. Sēvēre′ness; Sēver′ity, quality of being severe: gravity: harshness: exactness: inclemency. [Fr. sévère—L. severus.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. severe

   Effectual; as, a severe turn in belaying a rope.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'severe' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2211

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'severe' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3655

3. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'severe' in Adjectives Frequency: #292

Anagrams for severe »

1. reeves

How to pronounce severe?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say severe in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of severe in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of severe in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of severe in a Sentence

1. Martha Miele Matthew:

   The punishment is so severe in this it’s hard as a parent to try to make this a teachable moment for our kid so we can move forward in a healthy manner.

2. The National Weather Service:

   The greatest threat for any flash flooding or severe weather will be across southern New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic states Tuesday evening.

3. Ben Neuman:

   We do not at present know the full significance of this variant, but it has a combination of mutations similar to other internationally notifiable variants of concern, this variant combines genetic markers separately associated with rapid spread, severe disease and high resistance to neutralizing antibodies.

4. William Smith:

   It’s all the way from people in ski areas to backpackers to mountain climbers and guides, as well as people carrying with a history of severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis and not even having a medical degree….

5. John Campbell:

   Lake Chad is important because of Lake Chad physical location. It is part of the Lake Chad basin. It also borders on Sudan and Libya. It's literally right in the heart of a part of Africa where the security challenges are severe, the second point is that Chad for a long time has had an important security relationship with France. There are French military forces stationed in Lake Chad and the Chadian military has received quite good training from them.

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