Synonyms for severity
səˈvɛr ɪ tisever·i·ty

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. severity

   Acerbity is a sharpness, with a touch of bitterness, which may arise from momentary annoyance or habitual impatience; asperity is keener and more pronounced, denoting distinct irritation or vexation; in speech asperity is often manifested by the tone of voice rather than by the words that are spoken. Acrimony in speech or temper is like a corrosive acid; it springs from settled character or deeply rooted feeling of aversion or unkindness. One might speak with momentary asperity to his child, but not with acrimony, unless estrangement had begun. Malignity is the extreme of settled ill intent; virulence is an envenomed hostility. Virulence of speech is a quality in language that makes the language seem as if exuding poison. Virulence is outspoken; malignity may be covered with smooth and courteous phrase. We say intense virulence, deep malignity. Severity is always painful, and may be terrible, but carries ordinarily the implication, true or false, of justice. Compare ANGER; BITTER; ENMITY.

   Synonyms:
   acerbity, acrimony, asperity, bitterness, causticity, harshness, malignity, moroseness, sharpness, sourness, tartness, unkindness, virulence

   Antonyms:
   amiability, courtesy, gentleness, good nature, kindness, mildness, smoothness, sweetness

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. badness, severity, severenessnoun

   used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather

   Synonyms:
   hardship, severeness, rigor, naughtiness, austereness, harshness, hardness, asperity, stiffness, bad, inclemency, badness, rigorousness, mischievousness, grimness, rigourousness, rigour

2. asperity, grimness, hardship, rigor, rigour, severity, severeness, rigorousness, rigourousnessnoun

   something hard to endure

   "the asperity of northern winters"

   Synonyms:
   hardness, cogency, hard knocks, severeness, rigor, austereness, harshness, gruesomeness, asperity, luridness, rigour, stiffness, inclemency, badness, adversity, hardship, rigorousness, sharpness, grimness, rigourousness, ghastliness, validity

3. austereness, severity, severenessnoun

   extreme plainness

   Synonyms:
   harshness, rigour, rigourousness, severeness, hardship, badness, grimness, austereness, asperity, inclemency, rigorousness, hardness, rigor, stiffness

4. severity, severeness, harshness, rigor, rigour, rigorousness, rigourousness, inclemency, hardness, stiffnessnoun

   excessive sternness

   "severity of character"; "the harshness of his punishment was inhuman"; "the rigors of boot camp"

   Synonyms:
   insensibility, ruggedness, callosity, grimness, awkwardness, severeness, rigor, unfeelingness, austereness, harshness, hardness, asperity, stiffness, callousness, scratchiness, roughness, cogency, gracelessness, inclemency, inclementness, badness, bad weather, hardship, rigorousness, cruelty, cruelness, clumsiness, abrasiveness, rigourousness, rigour, validity

Matched Categories

1. • Difficulty
   • Intensity
   • Plainness

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. severitynoun

   Synonyms:
   sternness, harshness, rigor, austerity, acrimony

2. severitynoun

   Synonyms:
   strictness, exactness, accuracy

3. severitynoun

   Synonyms:
   simplicity, plainness, conciseness

4. severitynoun

   Synonyms:
   sharpness, keenness, causticity

5. severitynoun

   Synonyms:
   extremity, afflictiveness, violence

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. severitynoun

   Synonyms:
   rigor, rigorousness, harshness, exactness, cruelty, seriousness, gravity, violence, intensity, acuteness, austerity, simplicity, plainness, exactness, strictness, preciseness

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "severity":

   gravity, seriousness, intensity, harshness, rigour, stringency, strictness, acuteness, magnitude, rigor, acuity

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How to use severity in a sentence?

1. Henry David Thoreau:

   Sobriety, severity, and self-respect are the foundations of all true sociality.

2. Hazlitt:

   Truth from the mouth of an honest man and severity from a good-natured man have a double effect.

3. Zhang Dongshuo:

   Chinese law stipulates that during an appeal, only if new evidence is discovered and retried can there be an increase in the severity of a sentence, they are not new facts so you cannot increase the severity of the sentence.

4. Steven Runciman:

   Faced by the mountainous heap of the minutiae of knowledge and awed by the watchful severity of his colleagues, the modern historian too often takes refuge in learned articles or narrowly specialized dissertations, small fortresses that are easy to defend from attack.

5. Ralph Baric:

   This is a landmark study that reveals new and unexpected insights into the mechanisms that regulate disease progression and severity following SARS-CoV-2 infection, in addition, we describe a new reverse genetic platform for SARS-CoV-2 allowing us to produce key indicator viruses that will support national vaccine efforts designed to control the spread and severity of this terrible disease.