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severe

[suh-veer] / səˈvɪər /




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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In March, a jury found Meta and YouTube liable for harm to a young woman who testified that her constant use of the platforms led to severe psychological damage.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 22, 2026

Whether that’s likely to lead to greater or less political coherence and national conflict is impossible to say, but both systems will face severe stress tests in the years ahead.

From Salon Jul. 22, 2026

Siegel said Fat Brands’ bankruptcy stemmed from its severe debt accumulation, not the underperformance of any particular restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 22, 2026

He even defied severe cramp to help Durham beat Derbyshire in the One-Day Cup.

From BBC Jul. 21, 2026

“Cruel? Not at all! She is severe: she dislikes my faults.”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

The Oscars’ viewership woes are severer and more clear-cut: Last year’s broadcast saw a 58 percent drop in viewership from 2020, according to Nielsen.

From Washington Post Mar. 18, 2022

The Morgan has got the Frick Collection’s portrait of Thomas More, while Los Angeles got the Frick’s severer portrait of Thomas Cromwell; neither has been seen among other Holbeins in a century.

From New York Times Feb. 10, 2022

This year is predicted to be severer still, with economists forecasting a downswing of between 7% and 11% - unparalleled anywhere in Latin America save Venezuela.

From The Guardian Apr. 16, 2019

Past generations of Americans have faced and overcome severer tests.

From MSNBC Jan. 16, 2018

All cases demanding severer treatment are relegated to the Guernsey Courts.

From Legal Lore Curiosities of Law and Lawyers by Various

For almost 20 years, NI Water has been protected from the severest pollution fines because of a special arrangement that acknowledges its outdated and underfunded infrastructure.

From BBC Mar. 21, 2026

You’d think that Deborah, the seasoned comedian who has weathered the severest industry toxicity imaginable, would appreciate that about Ava.

From Salon May 2, 2024

In 1987, the organization handed the football team the so-called death penalty, the severest punishment it has ever imposed on a Division I school for rules violations.

From New York Times Mar. 30, 2024

Heat-related illness ranges from heat exhaustion, which causes heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, to heatstroke, which causes confusion, loss of consciousness, high fever, and in many of the severest cases even death.

From Seattle Times Sep. 10, 2023

People, he said, will willingly undergo the severest suffering in order to free themselves from oppression.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela




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