severe

Meanings

• adjective

  Extremely harsh, serious, or stern; not to be trifled with.

  - "The severe winter made the roads impassable."
  - "The severe critic gave the performance a scathing review."
  - "The severe punishment was a warning to others."

• adjective

  Causing great pain, harm, or suffering.

  - "The severe injury required immediate medical attention."
  - "The severe weather conditions forced the evacuation of the town."
  - "The severe illness kept her bedridden for weeks."

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Pronunciation

1. /sɪˈvɪə/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79899995"
2. 
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1676854"

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Antonyms

lenient , mild , minor

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Synonyms

brutal , extreme , hard , harsh , heavy , intense , rigorous , serious

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with severe
revere , severe , terrible , persevere , devere , nevere , evere

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Variants

List of all variants of severe that leads to same result
severe , severely , severeness , severenesses , severer , severest , severe acute respiratory syndrome , severe combined immune deficiency , severe combined immunodeficiencies , severe combined immunodeficiency

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French sever, from severer, to cut off, from sever, severed. Related to Latin severus, harsh, austere.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The word 'severe' comes from the Latin word 'severus', which means 'harsh' or 'austere'.

2. The term 'severe' was used to describe the strictness of Puritanism in the 17th century.

3. The term 'severe' is often used to describe the conditions in extreme weather situations, such as severe thunderstorms or severe frost.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. austerity: The quality of being simple, spartan, or unadorned; the practice of living without luxury or comfort.

2. harshness: The quality of being unforgiving, stern, or unyielding.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. On Feb. 25 regulators laid out details on how they will run the "stress tests" that Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner has promised on the biggest banks. Now those tests, designed to judge whether the banks have the capital to keep lending and absorb losses in a "severe" recession, face an exam of their own.

   - Jane Sasseen et al.,{it}Business Week{/it},9 Mar. 2009

2. Between 2000 and 2004 the number of Americans covered by Medicaid rose by a remarkable eight million. Over the same period the ranks of the uninsured rose by six million. So without the growth of Medicaid, the uninsured population would have exploded, and we'd be facing a "severe" crisis in medical care.

   - Paul Krugman et al.,{it}New York Review of Books{/it},23 Mar. 2006

3. A study in February in the journal {it}Lancet{/it}, for instance, compared treatments for "severe" ankle sprains, concluding that a below-the-knee cast is superior to a tubular compression bandage.

   - Sharon Begley,{it}Newsweek{/it},9 Mar. 2009

4. As several economists—most notably Jeffrey Williamson, of Harvard University—have written recently, international trade increased dramatically between 1850 and the First World War. Williamson goes on to point out that one consequence of this earlier period of globalization was that governments retreated into policies of "severe" trade and immigration restrictions.

   - Nicholas Lemann,{it}New Yorker{/it},10 May 1999

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, 'severe' is often used to describe characters or situations that are harsh, stern, or unforgiving. In art, the term 'severe style' refers to a minimalist, austere aesthetic. In music, a 'severe' composition might be characterized by its complexity and intensity.

How to Memorize "severe"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a stern, unforgiving figure or a harsh, unforgiving environment to help remember the meaning of 'severe'.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'severe' with words like 'harsh', 'stern', 'unforgiving', or 'punishing' to help remember its meaning.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Create a mnemonic using the acronym S-E-V-E-R-E: 'Sternly Extreme Very Harsh Reasonably Enduring' to help remember the meaning of 'severe'.

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Memorize "severe" using Dictozo

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