severely

[ suh-veer-lee ]

adverb

1. in a very stern, strict, or harsh way:

   One day he was caught taking a few pieces of scrap wood and was severely punished with two weeks of hard labor.

2. to a grave, far-reaching, or critical degree; seriously:

   Severely ill patients with kidney infections may be hospitalized until they can take fluids and medications on their own.

3. in a very simple, plain, or austere style or manner:

   She wore her hair severely tied back in a ponytail and refused to wear anything feminine.

4. in a very challenging or exacting way that is difficult to endure:

   The Great Depression severely tested the parish, as the church building was almost lost to creditors.

5. to a distressing or highly uncomfortable degree:

   Much of North America experiences periods of severely cold weather and is susceptible to snow and ice storms.

Other Words From

• o·ver·se·vere·ly adverb
• su·per·se·vere·ly adverb
• un·se·vere·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of severely¹

severe ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Now, in the aftermath of the election, abortion funds also have to prepare for a landscape where abortion access is severely limited.

From Salon

He accused the early release scheme of "severely undermining our efforts".

From BBC

HRW also alleges that Israel’s military has “intentionally demolished or severely damaged civilian infrastructure, including controlled demolitions of homes, with the apparent aim of creating an extended ‘buffer zone’ along Gaza’s perimeter with Israel and a corridor which will bifurcate Gaza”.

From BBC

This Christmas marks not quite two years since Renner was severely injured, almost dying after being crushed by a 7-ton snowplow.

From Los Angeles Times

“Ladies, we need to start considering the 4B movement like the women in South Korea and give America a severely sharp birth rate decline,” read one post on X with over 450,000 likes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acutely
• badly
• critically
• dangerously
• extremely
• firmly
• markedly
• painfully
• seriously
• sharply
• sorely
• sternly
• strictly