severe

adjective
UK: /sɪˈvɪər/
US: /sɪˈvɪr/

  1. Very bad or serious.

    1. The injury was severe, and he needed immediate medical help. [ ] [ ]
    2. The storm brought severe winds and heavy rain, causing widespread damage. [ ] [ ]

  2. Strict or harsh.

    1. The teacher gave a severe look to the noisy students. [ ] [ ]
    2. The school has severe rules about mobile phone use during class. [ ] [ ]

  3. Simple in appearance; not decorated.

    1. She wore a severe black dress to the funeral. [ ] [ ]
    2. The building's design was severe and functional, lacking ornamentation. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

strict critical austere harsh serious
severe verb

  1. To punish someone very strongly.

    1. The judge will severe the criminal for his actions. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company will severe employees who do not follow the safety rules. [ ] [ ]

  2. To cut something off or separate it.

    1. The surgeon had to severe the damaged nerve. [ ] [ ]
    2. The rope was so frayed that one strong pull could severe it. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "severe" in English means: Very bad or serious., Strict or harsh., Simple in appearance; not decorated..

The phonetic transcription of "severe" is /sɪˈvɪər/ in British English and /sɪˈvɪr/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "severe": strict, critical, austere, harsh, serious.

Example usage of "severe": "The injury was severe, and he needed immediate medical help.". More examples on the page.