severe
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
severer;
severest
severer;
severest
Britannica Dictionary definition of SEVERE
[or more severe; most severe]
1
a
:
very bad, serious, or unpleasant
-
severe weather conditions
-
The storm caused severe damage to the roof.
-
a severe economic depression
-
The patient is in severe pain.
-
children with severe learning disabilities
-
In the most severe cases, the disease can lead to blindness.
b
:
causing a lot of physical pain or suffering
-
He suffered a severe head injury.
-
a severe cold/infection
-
severe burns/wounds
2
:
very harsh
-
He faces severe penalties for his actions.
-
The punishment was severe.
-
severe criticism
-
a severe critic
3
:
requiring great effort
-
The war was a severe test of his leadership.
-
a severe challenge
4
:
very formal, strict, and serious
-
a severe young woman
-
He's very generous despite his somewhat severe manner.
5
:
not having much decoration
:
very plain
-
a very severe style of architecture
-
severe clothing
-
a severe hairstyle
— severely
adverb-
severely injured/punished
-
The accident has severely limited her mobility.
-
At first, they didn't understand the severity of the problem/situation.
-
We were shocked at the severity of the penalty.
-
Treatment varies according to the severity of the symptoms.
