severe, stern, austere, ascetic mean given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint. severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness.

severe adjective (VERY SERIOUS) Add to word list causing great pain, difficulty, damage, etc.; very serious: a severe earthquake

SEVERE definition: harsh; unnecessarily extreme. See examples of severe used in a sentence.

Severe implies adherence to rigorous standards or high principles and often suggests harshness: "Praise or blame has but a momentary effect on the man whose love of beauty in the abstract …

simple, plain, or austere. causing discomfort or distress by extreme character or conditions, as weather, cold, or heat; unpleasantly violent, as rain or wind, or a blow or shock. difficult to …

SEVERE meaning: 1 : very bad, serious, or unpleasant; 2 : causing a lot of physical pain or suffering

Severe punishments or criticisms are very strong or harsh. This was a dreadful crime and a severe sentence is necessary.