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severe

severe

520 3.5
Very strong and harmful, often causing great damage
  • adjective
  • /sɪˈvɪr/
translation icon : grave
  • Due to the severe drought, the region faced critical water shortages and crop failures.
  • severe illness
  • severe infection
  • severe disease

So I had me and a child having these severe reactions.

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Examples

  • It's a severe allergic reaction.

  • Severe flooding is expected to cause loss of life.

  • Yes, this looks very severe indeed.

  • This is a very severe, very real pandemic.

  • But severe disease can have a more severe impact upon your fertility.

  • The penalty could be severe.

  • When the pressures are great and the damage is severe, the result can be cultural conflict.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Lending and economic growth would decline, dealing a severe blow to an already fragile economic system.

    Academic text (2011)
  • He is said to be suffering from severe post-traumatic stress.

  • Unfortunately, the client had developed a severe phobia of flying, resulting in debilitating anxiety attacks.

    Academic text (2012)

Synonyms

serious
vssevere
2.0

Important and needing careful thought because it can have large effects

is about being very bad in degree rather than importance
terrible
vssevere
1.0

Very bad or unpleasant and often serious

is about high degree or harmful effect rather than emotion
strong
vssevere
1.0

Very concentrated in taste or effect

is about being very bad or harmful rather than neutral power
intense
vssevere
573 3.7

A very strong feeling or quality you feel deeply

is about harm or bad effect rather than only depth of feeling
devastating
vssevere
224 5.1

Causing very great damage or sadness

is about great degree or bad effect rather than specific damage causing
grave
vssevere
  • Formal
181 4.2

Very serious and needing careful attention

is higher in harmful effect rather than solemn importance
dire
vssevere
141 6.9

Very serious, frightening, and needing action quickly

is about high degree rather than urgency or panic
drastic
vssevere
128 5.1

Causing a very big or serious change

is about degree of badness rather than being a forceful action
harsh
vssevere
120 2.9

Very severe and demanding, making life or work difficult, for example very bad weather

is broader, covering high degree or harm beyond strictness
grievous
vssevere
  • Formal
26 7.9

Causing great pain or sorrow

is broader, covering high degree or bad effect beyond causing suffering
acute
vssevere
17 5.0

Very serious and needing immediate attention

is powerful over time rather than a sudden sharp peak

Antonyms

107 1.0

Something like pain and criticism that is not very strong or serious

79 1.0

Not strong and small in amount

Compounds

A serious breathing disease causing fever, cough and trouble breathing that can lead to death

A rare inherited illness that makes the body's defence against infections very weak

A rare condition passed from parents that makes babies unable to fight infections and often deadly without treatment

How Severe

critical
917 4.0
severe
520 3.5
serious
2.0
moderate
415 3.3
mild
107 1.0

Surface Forms

severe positive
severer comparative
severest superlative

Etymology

Severe comes from the Latin severus, which meant 'serious' or 'strict'. So a severe injury or storm is something very serious and powerful that can cause great harm.