1
as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
the building was severely damaged by the explosion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in extremely
to a great degree
the rescued mountain climbers were severely dehydrated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of severely
On July 14, a jury of 10 women and two men found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the shooting that killed his father-in-law Gary Spohr, 70, and severely wounded his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68, at their home.
—
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
But Israel continues to severely restrict crossings open for aid shipments and who can send aid through them.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
This bright, dust-rich, star-forming galaxy was severely reddened.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
For the severely malnourished, simply starting to eat normal meals again can cause sickness—even death.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
The team's defense is severely struggling, and more is needed on that front.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The daughter of a severely disapproving dentist (Ulrich Tukur) who witnessed World War II from the heart of Germany and still seems to think that women’s lib is the worst thing that’s ever happened to his country, Vera is a perfect vessel for rebellion.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
The missing context is that Disney severely curtailed the release of the film because of the Chinese government’s pushback.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Focusing on the climate benefits of alternative meat severely restricted the potential customer base, and made fake meat a political target.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
But Israel continues to severely restrict crossings open for aid shipments and who can send aid through them.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
This bright, dust-rich, star-forming galaxy was severely reddened.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
For the severely malnourished, simply starting to eat normal meals again can cause sickness—even death.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
The team's defense is severely struggling, and more is needed on that front.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The daughter of a severely disapproving dentist (Ulrich Tukur) who witnessed World War II from the heart of Germany and still seems to think that women’s lib is the worst thing that’s ever happened to his country, Vera is a perfect vessel for rebellion.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
The missing context is that Disney severely curtailed the release of the film because of the Chinese government’s pushback.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Focusing on the climate benefits of alternative meat severely restricted the potential customer base, and made fake meat a political target.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severely
Adverb
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The Justices have also harshly criticized lower-court judges who have blocked the Administration’s actions, including Young, who went so far as to apologize from the bench.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
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Despite those concessions, the law has been harshly criticized by Neighbors for a Better California, a group that advocates for preservation of single-family neighborhoods.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The last six decades or so have been an extremely subtle hint, and the rest of us have cracked the code.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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But in the interim, since the dragon’s demise, something has gone terribly wrong.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 Oct. 2025
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When Ashton reacted terribly, well, he got pushed off that cliff.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
19 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Expect brutally honest exchanges around money, trust and intimacy.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
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However, as Fatu's entrance music played, cameras cut backstage to reveal he had been brutally attacked.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The €286m spent on players since 2022 has largely been spent badly and on other coaches.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Of course, the behavior didn't seem to hurt of of their careers too badly.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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In police bodycam footage shown in The Perfect Neighbor, Lorincz claims that Owens had been banging on her locked front door so hard that her house started shaking.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
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Every day, we are inundated with imagery urging us to work harder, buy more … and never stop.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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With someone like Charles, whose world is incredibly high-pressure and constantly moving — and a big thing is trust.—
Kanika Talwar,
Footwear News,
16 Oct. 2025
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But playing shortstop in the big leagues at an elite level is incredibly difficult.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Severely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severely. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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