severe

CEFRB2

/sɪˈvɪə/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Very serious, harsh, or intense.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Sober, plain in appearance, austere.

Examples

  • Mr Yoshida is too severe with his children.

  • On the whole, the country has a severe climate.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /-vɪɹ/
  • /sɪˈviːɹ/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Strict or harsh.

  2. Very great; intense; strict or harsh.

  3. Very bad or intense.

More examples

In context

  • She received a severe blow on the head.

  • a severe old maiden aunt

  • a severe taskmaster

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The patient was admitted to the hospital due to a blank infection that threatened his life.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle French, from Latin severus (“severe, serious, grave in demeanor”).