Severe
Very great in degree; serious or harsh in effect, quality, or extent.
adjectiveSevere
Very great in degree; serious or harsh in effect, quality, or extent.
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Imagine This
Imagine a stern judge delivering a severe sentence: the room quiets, the gavel falls hard, and every word is weighed with strict, unyielding exactness.
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Sounds Like
suh-VEER
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Looks Like
Looks similar to sever (to cut); shares the same Latin root
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Remember This
From Latin severus meaning strict or serious; related words include severity and severely.
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Other Forms
severelyadverb
severitynoun
severenessnoun
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Connect With
harsh, stern, strict, austere, extreme, rigorous
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Note
Use severe for strong, negative impact (severe weather, severe injuries). Avoid overuse in casual speech when milder terms like harsh or extreme fit better.