severe

severe
adjective
1 VERY BAD very bad, or serious enough for you to worry about: severe injuries to the head and neck | severe depression | a severe setback to hopes of peace
2 WEATHER severe weather conditions are extremely hot, cold, dry etc and are unpleasant or dangerous: the severest winter since 1948 | severe flooding
3 STRICT someone who is severe is very strict and demands that rules of behaviour are obeyed or standards are followed: Don't be so severe with the children.
4 EXTREME criticism or punishment that is severe is extreme, and intended to prevent more crimes or bad behaviour: Drug smuggling continues to flourish despite the severe sentences of the courts. | a report containing severe criticism of the company's actions
5 UNFRIENDLY disapproving or unfriendly: a severe expression
6 PLAIN plain and simple in style with little or no decoration; austere: The town hall of Bruges is less severe but equally imposing.
— severity noun (C, U): We didn't realize the severity of her illness. | “You can't leave now,” he said with some severity.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • sévère — [ sevɛr ] adj. • fin XIIe; lat. severus 1 ♦ (Personnes) Qui n admet pas qu on manque à la règle; prompt à punir ou à blâmer. ⇒ dur, exigeant, strict, fam. vache. Des parents sévères. Le juge s est montré très sévère. ⇒ impitoyable. « elle était… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Severe — Sévère (chanteuse) Sévère est une rappeuse française d origine congolaise, née le 10 février 1982 à Strasbourg. Sommaire 1 Son d la rue Meufia 2 Parcours 3 Notes …   Wikipédia en Français

  • severe — severe, stern, austere, ascetic can all mean given to or characterized by strict discipline and firm restraint. Severe is applicable to persons and their looks, acts, thoughts, and utterances or to things (as laws, penalties, judgments, and… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Severe — Se*vere , a. [Compar. {Severer}; superl. {Severest}.] [L. severus; perhaps akin to Gr. ??? awe, ??? revered, holy, solemn, Goth. swikns innocent, chaste: cf. F. s[ e]v[ e]re. Cf. {Asseverate}, {Persevere}.] 1. Serious in feeling or manner;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • severe — SEVERE. adj. de t. g. Rigide, qui exige une extreme regularité, & pardonne peu ou point. Un Prince severe. Juge severe. severe censeur. ce pere est trop severe envers ses enfans. Il se dit aussi des choses. Vertu severe. punition severe. il fit… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • severe — [sə vir′] adj. severer, severest [< MFr < OFr < L severus, prob. < se , apart (see SECEDE) + IE base * wer , (to be) friendly > OE wær, faith, pledge, bond (of friendship)] 1. harsh, strict, or highly critical, as in treatment;… …   English World dictionary

  • severe — I adjective acrimonious, afflictive, agonizing, astringent, austere, austerus, bearish, brutal, censorious, churlish, coercive, cold, condemnatory, critical, cruel, despotic, difficult, domineering, dour, drastic, durus, exacting, excruciating,… …   Law dictionary

  • Sévère — Ancien nom de baptême correspondant au latin Severus (= sérieux, sévère), popularisé par un empereur romain, puis par divers saints …   Noms de famille

  • severe — 1540s, from Fr. sévère, from L. severus (see SEVERITY (Cf. severity)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • severe — [adj1] uncompromising, stern astringent, austere, biting, caustic, close, cold, cruel, cutting, disapproving, dour, earnest, firm, flinty, forbidding, grave, grim, hard, hardnosed*, harsh, inconsiderate, inexorable, inflexible, iron handed,… …   New thesaurus

  • severe — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of something bad, undesirable, or difficult) very great; intense. 2) strict or harsh. 3) very plain in style or appearance. DERIVATIVES severely adverb severity noun. ORIGIN Latin severus …   English terms dictionary

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