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
Israel's Ben Gurion airport has been operating on a severely limited basis throughout the war.
—
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
The study examined the high cost across different family structures, highlighting that rising living expenses have severely squeezed the traditional middle-class budget.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
One person was killed and three others were severely injured during a two-car crash in Wilmington on Saturday night.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Along with valid photo identification, occupants must also provide a statement from a licensed physician stating that a permanent disability severely limits aspects of their daily lives.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 28 Mar. 2026
An abrupt shut-in causes fines migration — when tiny particles of rock and clay within the porous materials become dislodged, settle, and severely plug the pore throats near the wellbore.
—Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Van Tine, 41, was severely beaten inside the jail by a cellmate whose history of violence was known to staff, the lawsuit alleges.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
That same storm severely damaged the Huntington Beach Pier.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
Iran, meanwhile, has managed to severely limit the movement of oil ships through the strait, driving up fuel prices.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
The study examined the high cost across different family structures, highlighting that rising living expenses have severely squeezed the traditional middle-class budget.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
One person was killed and three others were severely injured during a two-car crash in Wilmington on Saturday night.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Along with valid photo identification, occupants must also provide a statement from a licensed physician stating that a permanent disability severely limits aspects of their daily lives.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 28 Mar. 2026
An abrupt shut-in causes fines migration — when tiny particles of rock and clay within the porous materials become dislodged, settle, and severely plug the pore throats near the wellbore.
—Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Van Tine, 41, was severely beaten inside the jail by a cellmate whose history of violence was known to staff, the lawsuit alleges.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
That same storm severely damaged the Huntington Beach Pier.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
Iran, meanwhile, has managed to severely limit the movement of oil ships through the strait, driving up fuel prices.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severely
Adverb
-
Patrick Soon-Shiong, a controversial figure in the biotech industry, was harshly criticized by the Food and Drug Administration for making several false and misleading claims about a cancer treatment in television ads and a podcast.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Markets interpreted the message quickly and harshly.—
Benzinga,
Freep.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
That can be attributed to the fact that Rolex models were already highly valued in 2018 and were also in extremely high demand during the pandemic.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Almost all natural bodies of water bear fish life, with the exception of very hot thermal ponds and extremely salt-alkaline lakes, such as the Dead Sea in Asia and the Great Salt Lake in North America.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
-
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
Adverb
-
The new Attorney General is apt to be just as destructive as Bondi—maybe even more so, given that Bondi, who had little familiarity with the federal legal system, was not terribly effective in the job.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In his absence was a grievance fest about a nation heading terribly off course, with foes at every turn to defy the greatness for which MAGA yearns.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Ripa had a brutally honest response locked and loaded.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
And for those who gave their lives, Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, and Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In the transfer portal era, making contributions at a championship-caliber program like Ohio State as a true freshman are incredibly rare.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The first thing that struck me was the gold necklace’s incredibly lightweight nature, clocking in at just 25 grams.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Third baseman Matt Chapman charged hard and fielded the ball, but the ball popped out of his glove on the exchange.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
No baseball community dies harder, without reward, than the Rockies faithful, spring after spring.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Videos of the incident show the vehicle badly damaged and engulfed in flames.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has made the ballroom a priority of his second term, calling it a badly needed given the lack of large event space on the White House grounds.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Severely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severely. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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