adjective. Unsparing, harsh, or strict, as in treatment of others.

adjective. Marked by or requiring strict adherence to rigorous standards or high principles.

adjective. Stern or forbidding, as in manner or appearance.

adjective. Extremely plain in substance or style.

adjective. Causing great discomfort, damage, or distress.

adjective. Very dangerous or harmful; grave or grievous.

adjective. Extremely difficult to perform or endure; trying.

Serious or earnest in feeling, manner, or appearance; without levity; sedate; grave; austere; not light, lively, or cheerful.

Very strict in judgment, discipline, or ac tion; not mild or indulgent; rigorous; harsh; rigid; merciless: as, severe criticism; severe punishment.

Strictly regulated by rule or principle; exactly conforming to a standard; rigidly methodical; hence, in lit., art, etc., avoiding, or not exhibiting or permitting, unnecessary or florid ornament, amplification, or the like; restrained; not luxuriant; always keeping measure; pure in line and form; chaste in conception; subordinated to a high ideal: as, a severe style of writing; the severest style of Greek architecture; the severe school of German music.

Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme: as, severe pain, anguish, or torture; severe cold; a severe winter.

Difficult to be endured; trying; critical; rigorous: as, a severe test; a severe examination.

Synonyms and Harsh, Strict, etc. (see austere), unrelenting.

Exact, accurate, unadorned, chaste.

Cutting, keen, biting.

adjective. Serious in feeling or manner; sedate; grave; austere; not light, lively, or cheerful.

adjective. Very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh; not mild or indulgent; rigorous.

adjective. 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.

adjective. Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme.

adjective. Difficult to be endured; exact; critical; rigorous.

adjective. Very bad or intense.

adjective. Strict or harsh.

adjective. Sober, plain in appearance, austere.

adjective. unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment

adjective. severely simple

adjective. intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

adjective. causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm

adjective. very strong or vigorous

adjective. very bad in degree or extent

"I opened up Firefox this evening to a severe weather alert from ForecastFox…which surprised me, given that it’s lovely weather: a bit of clouds, maybe some rain later, but nothing I’d call *severe*!"

mild  minor  

bad  critical  intense  nonindulgent  plain  

severely  severeness  severity  

Bombardier  Chevalier  Clear  Deere  Fear  

acute  exact  frequent  serious  terrible  

Draconian  Herculean  Siberian  Spartan  Spartanic