Severe
/səˈvɪr/noun
Harsh, strict, or very intense in degree.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, *severus*, was used for sternness and seriousness, and it gave English a whole family of words tied to gravity, restraint, and uncompromising force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*segh-
“to hold, possess, keep”
Latin
Latin
severus
“stern, serious, strict, grave”
Old French
Old French
severe
“strict, harsh, grave”
Middle English
English
severe
“strict, austere, harsh”
Modern English
English
severe
“very harsh, strict, or intense”