as in hardness
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
even though no one expected the film to be a hit with the critics, the director was taken aback by the severity of the criticism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of severity
The one thing that didn’t fit was the rapid progression and severity of her toxicity.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
Because burns physically damage fabric, the severity of the scorch will determine whether the garment can be saved.
—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
However, senior administration officials became worried that users might be able to circumvent Fable 5’s guardrails — though experts disagreed over the severity of the risk.
—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
Prosecutors asked that the girls be denied bail, both because of the severity of the crime and for their own safety.
—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
Because burns physically damage fabric, the severity of the scorch will determine whether the garment can be saved.
—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
However, senior administration officials became worried that users might be able to circumvent Fable 5’s guardrails — though experts disagreed over the severity of the risk.
—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
Prosecutors asked that the girls be denied bail, both because of the severity of the crime and for their own safety.
—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severity
Noun
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Grade 5 titanium is notoriously difficult to work with, its hardness rapidly degrading cutting tools and leaving little margin for error.
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Water hardness is measured by the milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter of water(mg/L).
Noun
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But their specific details and strictness have modulated between political administrations in recent years.
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The ubiquity and strictness of regulation has real business impacts.
Noun
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Saura had a large sense of the humor, which struck those who got to know him, belying the sternness of his public visage with his playful banter and frequent chuckle.
Noun
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The rigidity and delusions of tyrannies are incorrigible; their purity spirals end in executions, not just cancellations; their adventures end in devastation and slaughter.
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But what struck me beyond his (to my mind) rigidity about roles was that his response to the disagreement was to shut down and refuse to talk to her.
Noun
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The harshness of the response suggested that after nearly five decades of trying to negotiate with the SSPX, the Holy See has had enough.
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The harshness of the response suggested that after trying to negotiate with the SSPX, the Vatican under Leo XIV had had enough.
Noun
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These rules were enforced with various levels of stringency throughout the week, but several journalists complained of having to argue with security staff in order to bring in innocuous items such as laptops and cosmetics.
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The administration says that this risk model is too cautious, leading to costly conservatism in reactor design, staffing redundancies and stringency in licensing.
Noun
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The top prospect’s irregular playing time is a product of his positional inflexibility mixed with the construction of the current roster.
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The frustration is in the inflexibility.
Noun
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Frankie wanted to rid himself of rigidness.
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Aristidou utilizes Danae, whose controlling dad suffocates her with his seemingly overbearing rigidness, as a counterpoint to the other extreme of fatherhood.
Cite this Entry
“Severity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severity. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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