severity B2 Topic:Describing Qualities US /səˈvɛɹəti/ UK /sɪˈvɛɹɪti/ See IPA manual Freq #22091 Meanings 1 noun excessive sternness severity of character 2 noun extreme plainness The severity of the winter ruined the harvest. 3 noun something hard to endure The severity of the winter ruined the harvest. 4 noun used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather The severity of the winter ruined the harvest. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · excessive sternness hardnessharshnessinclemencyrigorrigorousnessrigourrigourousnesssevereness 2 noun · extreme plainness austerenesssevereness 3 noun · something hard to endure asperity 4 noun · used of the degree of... badnesssevereness ↔ Opposites leniencymildnessgentleness Word family Derived forms overseverityunseverity Etymology From Middle English severity, from Middle French severite (modern French sévérité), from Latin sevēritās. By surface analysis, severe + -ity. Topics Describing Qualities External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # severity **Type:** Word **Level:** B2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /səˈvɛɹəti/ **IPA (UK):** /sɪˈvɛɹɪti/ **Frequency rank:** 22091 ## Meanings 1. excessive sternness 2. extreme plainness 3. something hard to endure 4. used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather ## Examples - severity of character - The severity of the winter ruined the harvest. - The severity of the winter ruined the harvest. - The severity of the winter ruined the harvest. ## Synonyms - severeness - hardness - harshness - inclemency - rigor - rigorousness - rigour - rigourousness - austereness - asperity - badness ## Antonyms - leniency - mildness - gentleness ## Derived Forms - overseverity - unseverity ## Etymology From Middle English severity, from Middle French severite (modern French sévérité), from Latin sevēritās. By surface analysis, severe + -ity. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown