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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of severely
But with Burrow now looking likely to miss the majority of the regular season, those chances look severely diminished.
—
Ben Morse, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
This stagnation can severely impact marketability and career growth when the labor market eventually improves.
—Kara Dennison, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Way’s models show that several concurrent LIPs could have thrown vast quantities of carbon dioxide into Venus’ atmosphere, warming the world so severely that much of its liquid water boiled away into the sky, accelerating the warming further.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
An individual satellite may be severely damaged, which could result in a financial loss, or the loss of research data if the satellite is a scientific one.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.
—Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
Childhood illnesses had severely weakened her own heart.
—Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
When children are severely malnourished, their bodies draw on reserves to wage a last-ditch battle for survival.
—Pablo Robles, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Pyongyang has continued to exercise significant control over the population and severely restrict the rights and freedoms of its population, and that has only gotten more intense over the last decade.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Ben Morse, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
This stagnation can severely impact marketability and career growth when the labor market eventually improves.
—Kara Dennison, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Way’s models show that several concurrent LIPs could have thrown vast quantities of carbon dioxide into Venus’ atmosphere, warming the world so severely that much of its liquid water boiled away into the sky, accelerating the warming further.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
An individual satellite may be severely damaged, which could result in a financial loss, or the loss of research data if the satellite is a scientific one.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.
—Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
Childhood illnesses had severely weakened her own heart.
—Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
When children are severely malnourished, their bodies draw on reserves to wage a last-ditch battle for survival.
—Pablo Robles, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Pyongyang has continued to exercise significant control over the population and severely restrict the rights and freedoms of its population, and that has only gotten more intense over the last decade.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severely
Adverb
-
Paes spoke passionately about the urgent need for resources in the harshly remote settings seen in the film — settings that help to foment these cycles of abuse.—
Stacey Wilson Hunt,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Hilleary, at the campaign event, also harshly criticized Biden’s immigration policies and his administration’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
This shift would prove extremely successful in bolstering Turning Point’s reputation.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Smart cities are an enticing target for adversaries, ranging from cybercriminals to nation-state actors, since the consequences of a successful hack may be widespread and extremely disruptive to daily life.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Even raid racers are not terribly excited about that, and apparently even like the previous World’s First team is even going to bother with it.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Set in his native Scotland and lovingly photographed, the film tantalizes even without a terribly original story.—
Stephen Farber,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Across automotive assembly lines and steel plants, unscheduled stoppages are brutally costly.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Summers in Capitol Reef can be brutally hot for hiking, but the weather is perfect in autumn for hitting the trails (though bear in mind that its high elevation makes climbing more difficult).—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Most recently, he was badly injured after a high–speed car crash in New Hampshire in August.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Things go very badly in the first episode, when a home invasion gone wrong puts Robbie in an impossible situation.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The bristles are neither too floppy nor too stiff, neither too long nor too short, and are cut to the perfect rounded shape that’s just right for swirling pigment over the apples or spreading it along your cheekbones—without having to work too hard for a completely natural finish.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Eagles went chasing on a third-and-8 situation at the Chiefs’ 33 at the start of the third quarter, and Smith went down hard after a deep pass from Hurts fell incomplete along the left sideline.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Despite their incredibly unique look, quaggas were once very common across various grasslands in South Africa.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
From Chincoteague's swimming ponies to Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings on South Padre Island, Texas, witnessing wildlife in its natural state is an incredibly special experience.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Severely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severely. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share