What does Severe mean?

Definitions for Severe
səˈvɪərse·vere

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Severe.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. severe, terrible, wickedadjective

    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"

  2. hard, knockout, severeadjective

    very strong or vigorous

    "strong winds"; "a hard left to the chin"; "a knockout punch"; "a severe blow"

  3. austere, severe, stark, sternadjective

    severely simple

    "a stark interior"

  4. severe, spartanadjective

    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"

  5. dangerous, grave, grievous, serious, severe, life-threateningadjective

    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"; "a life-threatening disease"

  6. severeadjective

    very bad in degree or extent

    "a severe worldwide depression"; "the house suffered severe damage"

Wiktionary

  1. severeadjective

    Very bad or intense.

  2. severeadjective

    Strict or harsh.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Severenoun

    Etymology: severe, French; severus, Latin.

    Let your zeal, if it must be expressed in anger, be always more severe against thy self than against others. Taylor.

    Soon mov’d with touch of blame, thus Eve:
    What words have pass’d thy lips, Adam severe? John Milton.

    What made the church of Alexandria be so severe with Origen for, but holding the incence in his hands, which those about him cast from thence upon the altar? yet for this he was cast out of the church. Edward Stillingfleet.

    Am I upbraided? not enough severe
    It seems, in thy restraint. John Milton.

    In his looks serene,
    When angry most he seem’d and most severe,
    What else but favour shone? John Milton.

    Nor blame severe his choice,
    Warbling the Grecian woes. Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

    His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword. Wisd.

    Truth, wisdom, sanctitude, severe and pure,
    Severe, but in true filial freedom plac’d. John Milton.

    Your looks must alter, as your subject does,
    From kind to fierce, from wanton to severe. Edmund Waller.

    His grave rebuke,
    Severe in youthful beauty, added grace. John Milton.

    Their beauty I leave it rather to the delicate wit of poets, than venture upon so nice a subject with my severer style. More.

    The Latin, a most severe and compendious language, often expresses that in one word, which modern tongues cannot in more. Dryden.

    These piercing fires as soft as now severe. John Milton.

ChatGPT

  1. severe

    Severe generally refers to something very great or intense, such as extreme pain or weather conditions. It can also describe something serious, harsh, or stern, such as strict rules or treatment. It often denotes something extremely bad or undesirable.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Severe

    serious in feeeling or manner; sedate; grave; austere; not light, lively, or cheerful

  2. Severe

    very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh; not mild or indulgent; rigorous; as, severe criticism; severe punishment

  3. Severe

    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

  4. Severe

    sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as, severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold

  5. Severe

    difficult to be endured; exact; critical; rigorous; as, a severe test

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Severe

    sē-vēr′, adj. serious: grave: austere: strict: not mild: strictly adhering to rule: free from florid ornamentation, simple: sharp: distressing: inclement: searching: difficult to be endured.—adv. Sēvēre′ly.—ns. Sēvēre′ness; Sēver′ity, quality of being severe: gravity: harshness: exactness: inclemency. [Fr. sévère—L. severus.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. severe

    Effectual; as, a severe turn in belaying a rope.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. SEVERE

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Severe is ranked #15409 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Severe surname appeared 1,901 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 would have the surname Severe.

    47.6% or 905 total occurrences were White.
    46.7% or 888 total occurrences were Black.
    2.7% or 53 total occurrences were of two or more races.
    2.2% or 43 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
    0.3% or 6 total occurrences were Asian.
    0.3% or 6 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Severe' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2211

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Severe' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3655

  3. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Severe' in Adjectives Frequency: #292

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce Severe?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Severe in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Severe in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of Severe in a Sentence

  1. Mitt Romney:

    I think he made a severe error in saying what he did about Mexican-Americans.

  2. John Aylieff:

    We know it's a very precipitous decline into severe acute malnutrition in these areas once the food runs out and that's why we are so concerned, if the food runs out in May and June ... it (malnutrition) is going to be off the scale.

  3. George Chang:

    A patient who is obese will be at higher risk for complications and often times more severe complications from surgery than someone at an optimal weight.

  4. Daniel Swain:

    A combination of factors -- including short-term severe to extreme drought and long-term climate change -- are in alignment for yet another year of exceptionally high risk across much of California's potentially flammable landscapes.

  5. Masazumi Wakatabe:

    If risks materialise and lead to a severe economic downturn, we would of course need to consider how to respond with monetary policy, what tools to deploy will depend on economic conditions at the time. We must and will have the means ready to act.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Severe#1#3964#10000

Translations for Severe

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"Severe." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Nov. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Severe>.

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    (of a glutinous liquid such as paint) not completely dried and slightly sticky to the touch
    A tacky
    B arbitrary
    C incumbent
    D butch

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