Antonyms for severe
səˈvɪərse·vere

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. severeadjective

   Very bad or intense.

   Antonyms:
   mild, minor

2. severeadjective

   Antonyms:
   lenient

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. severe

   That is severe which is devoid of all softness, mildness, tenderness, indulgence or levity, or (in literature and art) devoid of unnecessary ornament, amplification, or embellishment of any kind; as, a severe style; as said of anything painful, severe signifies such as heavily taxes endurance or resisting power; as, a severe pain, fever, or winter. Rigid signifies primarily stiff, resisting any effort to change its shape; a corpse is said to be rigid in death; hence, in metaphorical sense, a rigid person or character is one that resists all efforts to change the will or course of conduct; a rigid rule or statement is one that admits of no deviation. Rigorous is nearly akin to rigid, but is a stronger word, having reference to action or active qualities, as rigid does to state or character; a rigid rule may be rigorously enforced. Strict (Latin stringo, bind) signifies bound or stretched tight, tense, strenuously exact. Stern unites harshness and authority with strictness or severity; stern, as said even of inanimate objects, suggests something authoritative or forbidding. Austere signifies severely simple or temperate, strict in self-restraint or discipline, and similarly unrelenting toward others. We speak of austere morality, rigid rules, rigorous discipline, stern commands, severe punishment, harsh speech or a harsh voice, hard requirements, strict injunctions, and strict obedience. Strict discipline holds one exactly and unflinchingly to the rule; rigorous discipline punishes severely any infraction of it. The austere character is seldom lovely, but it is always strong and may be grand, commanding, and estimable.

   Antonyms:
   affable, bland, easy, genial, gentle, indulgent, lenient, mild, pliable, soft, sweet, tender, tractable, yielding

   Synonyms:
   austere, hard, harsh, inexorable, inflexible, morose, relentless, rigid, rigorous, stern, stiff, strict, uncompromising, unmitigated, unrelenting, unyielding

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. severe

   Antonyms:
   gay, smiling, cheerful, relaxed, jocose, jocund, joyous, mild, genial, indulgent, light, trivial, tri-fling, inconsiderable, inexact, loose, uncritical, lenient, inextreme, moderate, kind, considerate, feeling, tender, gentle

   Synonyms:
   serious, austere, stern, grave, strict, harsh, rigid, rigorous, sharp, afflictive, distressing, violent, extreme, exact, critical, censorious, caustic, sarcastic, cutting, keen, bitter, cruel

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:2.3 / 3 votes

1. severe, terrible, wickedadjective

   intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

   "severe pain"; "a severe case of flu"; "a terrible cough"; "under wicked fire from the enemy's guns"; "a wicked cough"

   Antonyms:
   noncritical, fancy, mild, weak, indulgent, noncrucial, good

   Synonyms:
   life-threatening, dreadful, distasteful, revolting, pixilated, repellant, foul, implike, repellent, mischievous, arch, austere, serious, awful, puckish, frightful, horrendous, sinful, tremendous, disgustful, dire, loathly, stern, grievous, skanky, repelling, atrocious, painful, prankish, impish, grave, dangerous, yucky, wicked, unholy, dread(a), hard, unspeakable, horrific, terrible, dreaded, abominable, frightening, fearsome, fearful, loathsome, direful, stark, disgusting, spartan, knockout

2. hard, knockout, severeadjective

   very strong or vigorous

   "strong winds"; "a hard left to the chin"; "a knockout punch"; "a severe blow"

   Antonyms:
   noncritical, indulgent, fancy, weak, mild, noncrucial, good

   Synonyms:
   arduous, wicked, grueling, tough, grievous, serious, terrible, toilsome, hard, stark, life-threatening, spartan, stern, heavy, voiceless, laborious, difficult, grave, austere, knockout, gruelling, intemperate, concentrated, punishing, unvoiced, dangerous, operose, backbreaking, surd, strong

3. austere, severe, stark, sternadjective

   severely simple

   "a stark interior"

   Antonyms:
   noncrucial, noncritical, indulgent, good, mild, fancy, weak

   Synonyms:
   life-threatening, perfect(a), consummate(a), unadulterated, double-dyed(a), austere, serious, ascetic, bare, arrant(a), stark, desolate, staring(a), unrelenting, stern, grievous, sodding(a), unappeasable, grave, everlasting(a), crude(a), dangerous, wicked, complete(a), hard, gross(a), terrible, stark(a), pure(a), relentless, barren, unforgiving, blunt, grim, bleak, inexorable, exacting, thoroughgoing(a), strict, ascetical, utter(a), spartan, knockout

4. severe, spartanadjective

   unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment

   "a parent severe to the pitch of hostility"- H.G.Wells; "a hefty six-footer with a rather severe mien"; "a strict disciplinarian"; "a Spartan upbringing"

   Antonyms:
   noncrucial, noncritical, mild, fancy, indulgent, good, weak

   Synonyms:
   serious, stark, spartan, ascetical, grave, knockout, austere, terrible, wicked, hard, life-threatening, stern, ascetic, dangerous, grievous

5. dangerous, grave, grievous, serious, severe, life-threateningadjective

   causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm

   "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"; "a life-threatening disease"

   Antonyms:
   indulgent, fancy, weak, mild, good, noncrucial, noncritical

   Synonyms:
   sober, serious, wicked, stark, unsafe, terrible, hard, spartan, stern, heavy, unplayful, weighty, monstrous, grave, good, grievous, atrocious, sedate, flagitious, life-threatening, dangerous, knockout, austere, heartbreaking, heartrending, solemn

6. severeadjective

   very bad in degree or extent

   "a severe worldwide depression"; "the house suffered severe damage"

   Antonyms:
   noncritical, indulgent, mild, weak, noncrucial, good, fancy

   Synonyms:
   serious, stark, spartan, grave, knockout, austere, terrible, wicked, hard, life-threatening, stern, dangerous, grievous

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. severeadjective

   Synonyms:
   drastic, harsh, stern, rigorous, exact, cruel, serious, sedate, grave, austere, sober, distressing, afflictive, sharp, acute, violent, intense, inexorable, stern, exacting, peremptory, unrelenting, unmerciful, plain, austere, unembellished, unadorned, methodical, strict, precise, exact

How to use severe in a sentence?

1. Greg Carbin:

   We are in uncharted territory with respect to the lack of severe weather.

2. Jen Gommerman:

   However, if we consider efficacy against hospitalization and severe disease, the data coming out show that three doses of the mRNA vaccine confirm excellent protection against hospitalization, ventilation and death.

3. Nancy Pelosi:

   We talked about weapons that Putin is using, weapons prohibited in the Geneva Conventions, including cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, which caused severe suffering.

4. Benjamin Franklin:

   Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed.

5. Yasutoshi Nishimura:

   The national government and the three governors shared the view that the situation in the Tokyo area is getting more severe such that an emergency declaration may be necessary.

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