severe

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Very bad, serious, or intense.

   She suffered from severe pain after the accident.

2. 2
   adj

   Strict, harsh, or stern in how someone treats others.

   The teacher was severe with students who arrived late.

3. 3
   adj

   Plain and simple in appearance, with no decoration.

   She wore a severe black dress with no jewellery.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Severe entered English in the mid-16th century from Latin severus, “strict” or “harsh,” which supplied its earliest English sense. The meaning “sober or austerely plain” appeared in the mid-17th century, and application to harsh weather followed later that century.

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

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary