SEVERE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SEVERE?

Need another word that means the same as “severe”? Find 126 synonyms and 30 related words for “severe” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Severe” are: spartan, austere, stark, stern, terrible, wicked, hard, knockout, dangerous, grave, grievous, life-threatening, serious, acute, very bad, critical, dire, drastic, extreme, dreadful, awful, frightful, appalling, sore, fierce, violent, strong, wild, powerful, forceful, intense, excruciating, agonizing, unbearable, intolerable, unendurable, very difficult, demanding, tough, arduous, formidable, taxing, exacting, rigorous, punishing, onerous, gruelling, burdensome, heavy, harsh, bitter, cold, bleak, freezing, icy, arctic, polar, siberian, nasty, scathing, sharp, ferocious, stringent, savage, blistering, searing, stinging, scorching, devastating, mordant, trenchant, caustic, biting, cutting, withering, unsparing, extortionate, excessive, unreasonable, inordinate, outrageous, stiff, strict, inflexible, uncompromising, inexorable, implacable, rigid, unbending, relentless, unrelenting, unyielding, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, draconian, oppressive, repressive, punitive, rough, dour, grim, forbidding, disapproving, unsmiling, unfriendly, sombre, sober, flinty, stony, steely, glowering, frowning, plain, simple, restrained, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, chaste, spare, unfussy, ascetic, monastic, puritanical

Severe as an Adjective

Definitions of "Severe" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “severe” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm.
• Unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment.
• Unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment- H.G.Wells.
• (of a person) formal and unsmiling.
• Very strong or vigorous.
• Demanding great ability, skill, or resilience.
• (of something bad or undesirable) very great; intense.
• Intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality.
• (of punishment of a person) strict or harsh.
• Severely simple.
• Very bad in degree or extent.
• Very plain in style or appearance.

Synonyms of "Severe" as an adjective (126 Words)

acute	Denoting or designed for patients with an acute form of a disease. An acute or critical lack of research funds.
agonizing	Extremely painful. There is an agonizing choice to make.
appalling	Causing shock or dismay; horrific. Appalling conditions.
arctic	Extremely cold. An arctic climate.
arduous	Taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance- F.D.Roosevelt. The arduous work of preparing a dictionary.
ascetic	Pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self discipline. Ascetic practices.
austere	Of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect. An austere expression.
awful	Extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact. You look awful you should go and lie down.
biting	(of insects and certain other animals) able to wound the skin with a sting or fangs. His biting satire on corruption and power.
bitter	Painful or unpleasant to accept or contemplate. A bitter five year legal battle.
bleak	(of the weather) cold and miserable. He paints a bleak picture of a company that has lost its way.
blistering	Harsh or corrosive in tone. The blistering heat of the desert.
burdensome	Not easily borne; wearing. The burdensome task of preparing the income tax return.
caustic	Harsh or corrosive in tone. The players were making caustic comments about the refereeing.
chaste	Pure and simple in design or style. A chaste consoling embrace.
cold	Of a person feeling uncomfortably cold. A cold impersonal manner.
critical	(of a text) incorporating a detailed and scholarly analysis and commentary. A critical element of the plan.
cutting	Capable of cutting something. A cutting remark.
dangerous	Able or likely to cause harm or injury. A dangerous criminal.
demanding	Requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill. A baby can be so demanding.
devastating	Physically or spiritually devastating often used in combination. The news came as a devastating blow.
dire	Causing fear or dread or terror. Misuse of drugs can have dire consequences.
disapproving	Expressing an unfavourable opinion. He shot a disapproving glance at her.
dour	Harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance. A dour self sacrificing life.
draconian	(of laws or their application) excessively harsh and severe. The Nazis destroyed the independence of the press by a series of draconian laws.
drastic	Likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; radical and extreme. A drastic reduction of staffing levels.
dreadful	Causing fear or dread or terror. A dreadful storm.
exacting	Making great demands on one’s skill, attention, or other resources. An exacting instructor.
excessive	Beyond normal limits. He was drinking excessive amounts of brandy.
excruciating	Very embarrassing, awkward, or tedious. He explained the procedure in excruciating detail.
extortionate	Using or given to extortion. 2 700 for that guitar is extortionate.
extreme	Of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity. The extreme north west of Scotland.
ferocious	Marked by extreme and violent energy. A ferocious battle.
fierce	Fashionable or attractive in a bold or striking way. Fierce storms lashed the country.
flinty	(of a person or their expression) very hard and unyielding. His flinty gaze.
forbidding	Unfriendly or threatening in appearance. Forbidding thunderclouds.
forceful	Forceful and definite in expression or action. A forceful speaker.
formidable	Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable. The challenge was formidable.
freezing	(used hyperbolically) very cold. He was freezing and miserable.
frightful	Very unpleasant, serious, or shocking. A frightful mistake.
frowning	Forming an expression of disapproval, displeasure, or concentration by furrowing one’s brows. The young writer pitched his screenplay to a frowning producer.
glowering	Showing a brooding ill humor.
grave	Causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm. A grave God fearing man.
grievous	Causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm. A grievous cry.
grim	(especially of a place) unattractive or forbidding. Grim laughter.
gruelling	Characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort. A gruelling schedule.
hard	Unfortunate or hard to bear. The hard light of morning.
harsh	Unpleasantly stern. The harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes.
heavy	Large and powerful especially designed for heavy loads or rough work. A heavy heart.
icy	Devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain. Her voice was icy.
implacable	Incapable of being placated. He was an implacable enemy of Ted s.
inexorable	Impossible to stop or prevent. The doctors were inexorable and there was nothing to be done.
inflexible	Resistant to being bent. An inflexible law.
inordinate	Unusually or disproportionately large; excessive. The case had taken up an inordinate amount of time.
intense	Extremely sharp or intense. Intense itching and burning.
intolerable	Incapable of being tolerated or endured. An intolerable degree of sentimentality.
knockout	Very strong or vigorous. A knockout punch.
life-threatening	Causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm.
merciless	Showing no mercy. A merciless attack with a blunt instrument.
monastic	Resembling or suggestive of monks or their way of life, especially in being austere, solitary, or celibate. She set her things round the monastic student bedroom.
mordant	Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action. Fun ranging from slapstick clowning to savage mordant wit.
nasty	Very bad or unpleasant. It s a nasty old night.
onerous	Not easily borne; wearing. My duties weren t onerous I only had to greet the guests.
oppressive	Weighing heavily on the senses or spirit. Oppressive sorrows.
outrageous	Wildly exaggerated or improbable. Spends an outrageous amount on entertainment.
pitiless	(especially of weather) unrelentingly harsh or severe. A night of pitiless rain.
plain	Lacking in physical beauty or proportion. A plain girl with a freckled face.
polar	Having electrical or magnetic polarity. Extreme and indefensible polar positions.
powerful	Possessing physical strength and weight rugged and powerful. The most powerful government in western Europe.
punishing	Severe and debilitating. The band s punishing tour schedule.
punitive	(of a tax or other charge) extremely high. He called for punitive measures against the Eastern bloc.
puritanical	Having or displaying a very strict or censorious moral attitude towards self-indulgence or sex. His puritanical parents saw any kind of pleasure as the road to damnation.
relentless	Not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty. Relentless persecution.
repressive	Inhibiting or preventing the expression or awareness of thoughts or desires. A repressive moral code.
restrained	Under restraint. His restrained gentlemanly voice.
rigid	Fixed and unmoving- Connor Cruise O’Brien. A face rigid with pain.
rigorous	Extremely thorough and careful. The rigorous testing of consumer products.
rough	(of an area or occasion) characterized by violent behaviour. A rough answer.
ruthless	Having or showing no pity or compassion for others. A ruthless manipulator.
savage	(of a person or group) primitive and uncivilized. A savage race.
scathing	Witheringly scornful; severely critical. She launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister.
scorching	Hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface. Scorching heat.
searing	Having lost all moisture. A searing indictment of the government s performance.
serious	(of music, literature, or other art forms) requiring or meriting deep reflection. The plan has a serious flaw.
sharp	Keenly and painfully felt as if caused by a sharp edge or point. C sharp.
siberian	Of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f’, `s’, `z’, or `th’ in both `thin’ and `then.
simple	Denoting a group that has no proper normal subgroup. Simple mechanisms.
sober	Muted in colour. As sober as a judge.
sombre	Dark or dull in colour or tone. The night skies were sombre and starless.
sore	Severe; urgent. It was a sore trial to him.
spare	Kept in reserve especially for emergency use. He tried to write poetry in his spare time.
spartan	Practicing great self-denial- William James. A spartan existence.
stark	Severely simple. A stark interior.
steely	Resembling steel as in hardness. There was a steely edge to his questions.
stern	Of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor forbidding in aspect. The past year has been a stern test of the ability of British industry.
stiff	Incapable of or resistant to bending. She was scared stiff.
stinging	Having a sting; capable of wounding or piercing with a sting. A swarm of stinging insects.
stony	Hard as granite. Lucenzo s hard stony eyes.
strict	Characterized by strictness severity or restraint. My father was very strict.
stringent	(of regulations, requirements, or conditions) strict, precise, and exacting. Stringent safety measures.
strong	Relating to or denoting the strongest of the known kinds of force between particles which acts between nucleons and other hadrons when closer than about 10 cm so binding protons in a nucleus despite the repulsion due to their charge and which conserves strangeness parity and isospin. A cup of strong coffee.
taxing	Not easily borne; wearing. A taxing schedule.
terrible	Used to emphasize the extent of something unpleasant or bad. The weather was terrible.
tough	Physically toughened. A tough break.
trenchant	Having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect. A trenchant argument.
unadorned	Not decorated with something to increase its beauty or distinction. The unadorned truth.
unbearable	Incapable of being tolerated or endured. The heat was getting unbearable.
unbending	Reserved, formal, or strict in one’s behaviour or attitudes; austere and inflexible. An unbending will to dominate.
uncompromising	Not making concessions. Uncompromising honesty.
undecorated	Not adorned or decorated. The walls were completely undecorated.
unembellished	Lacking embellishment or ornamentation. The unembellished truth.
unendurable	Not able to be tolerated or endured. Cries of unendurable suffering.
unfriendly	Not friendly. She shot him an unfriendly glance.
unfussy	Not fussy. A simple unfussy design.
unornamented	Lacking embellishment or ornamentation. An unornamented two storey building.
unreasonable	Not guided by or based on good sense. Unreasonable demands.
unrelenting	Punishingly harsh. The heat was unrelenting.
unsmiling	(of a person or their manner or expression) serious or unfriendly; not smiling. A large unsmiling woman.
unsparing	Very generous. An unsparing critic.
unyielding	Stubbornly unyielding. The Atlantic hurled its waves at the unyielding rocks.
very bad	Being the exact same one; not any other.
very difficult	Being the exact same one; not any other.
violent	Marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions inclined to react violently fervid. A violent death.
wicked	Having committed unrighteous acts. Despite the sun the wind outside was wicked.
wild	Produced from wild animals or plants without cultivation. The wild coastline of Cape Wrath.
withering	(of heat) intense; scorching. To compliments inflated I ve a withering reply.

Usage Examples of "Severe" as an adjective

• A severe attack of asthma.
• A severe worldwide depression.
• A severe case of pneumonia.
• A hefty six-footer with a rather severe mien.
• A severe case of flu.
• Severe pain.
• The charges would have warranted a severe sentence.
• The damage is not too severe.
• She wore another severe suit, grey this time.
• The house suffered severe damage.
• A parent severe to the pitch of hostility.
• A severe blow.
• A severe shortage of technicians.
• A severe test of stamina.

Associations of "Severe" (30 Words)

acute	Denoting or designed for patients with an acute form of a disease. The acute phase of the illness.
ascetic	A person who follows an ascetic life. Ascetic practices.
asperity	Harsh qualities or conditions. The asperity of northern winters.
austere	Severely simple. He was an austere man with a rigidly puritanical outlook.
biting	Causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold. His biting satire on corruption and power.
demanding	Requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill. He was a demanding baby and rarely slept through the night.
draconian	(of laws or their application) excessively harsh and severe. The Nazis destroyed the independence of the press by a series of draconian laws.
exacting	Making great demands on one’s skill, attention, or other resources. Certain highly specialized xerophytes are extremely exacting in their requirements.
extreme	The highest or most extreme degree of something. Extreme danger.
grave	Carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface. A grave situation.
grievous	Of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought. A grievous crime.
harsh	Disagreeable to the senses. Drenched in a harsh white neon light.
inflexible	Not able to be changed or adapted to particular circumstances. An inflexible knife blade.
intense	Extremely sharp or intense. The heat was intense.
martinet	A person who demands complete obedience; a strict disciplinarian. The woman in charge was a martinet who treated all those beneath her like children.
pitiless	Without mercy or pity. A night of pitiless rain.
pungent	(of comment, criticism, or humour) having a sharp and caustic quality. The pungent taste of radishes.
rigorous	Rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard. Rigorous discipline.
rushing	(of a player) advancing rapidly towards an opposing player, especially the quarterback. Responders attempted to shut off the rushing water.
serious	Requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve. A serious attempt to learn to ski.
seriousness	The trait of being serious- Robert Rice. He learned the seriousness of his illness.
severity	Something hard to endure. Sentences should reflect the severity of the crime.
spartan	Practicing great self-denial. Spartan courage.
stoutly	In a resolute manner. The houses are built stoutly of granite.
stringency	A state occasioned by scarcity of money and a shortage of credit.
stringent	Demanding strict attention to rules and procedures. Stringent guidelines on air pollution.
stringently	In a stringent manner. Stringently controlled.
ultimate	Denoting the maximum possible strength or resistance beyond which an object breaks. One s ultimate goal in life.
unkind	Inconsiderate and harsh to others. You were terribly unkind to her.
unrelenting	Harsh. The heat was unrelenting.