Meaning of SEVERE
| Pronunciation: | | si'veer
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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- [adj] 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"
- [adj] very bad in degree or extent; "a severe worldwide depression"; "the house suffered severe damage"
- [adj] 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"
- [adj] 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"
- [adj] severely simple; "a stark interior"
- [adj] very strong or vigorous; "strong winds"; "a hard left to the chin"; "a knockout punch"; "a severe blow"
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| | Synonyms: | | austere, bad, critical, dangerous, grave, grievous, hard, intense, knockout, nonindulgent, plain, serious, spartan, stark, strict, strong, terrible, wicked |
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| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | \Se*vere"\, a. [Compar. {Severer}; superl. {Severest}.]
[L. severus; perhaps akin to Gr. ??? awe, ??? revered, holy,
solemn, Goth. swikns innocent, chaste: cf. F. s['e]v[`e]re.
Cf. {Asseverate}, {Persevere}.]
1. Serious in feeeling or manner; sedate; grave; austere; not
light, lively, or cheerful.
Your looks alter, as your subject does, From kind to
fierce, from wanton to severe. --Waller.
2. Very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh;
not mild or indulgent; rigorous; as, severe criticism;
severe punishment. ``Custody severe.'' --Milton.
Come! you are too severe a moraler. --Shak.
Let your zeal, if it must be expressed in anger, be
always more severe against thyself than against
others. --Jer. Taylor.
3. 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. ``Restrained by reason and
severe principles.'' --Jer. Taylor.
The Latin, a most severe and compendious language.
--Dryden.
4. Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as,
severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold.
5. Difficult to be endured; exact; critical; rigorous; as, a
severe test.
Syn: Strict; grave; austere; stern; morose; rigid; exact;
rigorous; hard; rough; harsh; censorious; tart;
acrimonious; sarcastic; satirical; cutting; biting;
keen; bitter; cruel. See {Strict}. -- {Se*vere"ly}, adv.
-- {Se*vere"ness}, n.
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