Word
severity
Phoneticssever·i·ty
US/sɪˈvɛɹɪti/
UK/səvˈɛɹɪti/
Definitions
01seriousness of a problem
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. how serious or bad a problem, illness, or situation is.
n. the degree of intensity or seriousness of something undesirable, such as a disease, weather event, or economic crisis.
“The severity of the storm surprised everyone, as it caused a lot of damage to the houses.”
“Medical professionals were concerned by the severity of the outbreak, noting that symptoms progressed much faster than in previous years.”
Usage
often used with the preposition 'of' followed by the problem.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02strictness or harshness
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. the quality of being very strict or harsh in the way you treat people.
n. the quality of being stern, austere, or harsh in treatment or judgement.
“The teacher was known for the severity of her rules, but the students respected her.”
“The severity of the sentence handed down by the judge sparked a national debate regarding the proportionality of the legal system.”
Usage
uncountable in this sense.
Antonyms
03plainness or lack of decoration
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary
n. a style that is very simple and plain, without any decoration.
n. the quality of being extremely plain or simple in style or appearance; austerity.
“The severity of the building's design made it look cold and unfriendly.”
“The architect favoured a certain severity in his work, stripping away all ornamental flourishes to focus on raw concrete and sharp angles.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “severity” in context.
Verb
01. assess the severity
“Doctors need to assess the severity of the injury before deciding on a treatment.”
verb + noun
02. reduce the severity
“Taking the medication early can help reduce the severity of the symptoms.”
verb + noun
03. underestimate the severity
“We should not underestimate the severity of the economic crisis.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. extreme severity
“The judge noted the extreme severity of the crime during the sentencing.”
adj + noun
05. varying severity
“The patients experienced headaches of varying severity throughout the week.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. degree of severity
“The punishment should be based on the degree of severity of the offense.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
07. in severity
“The storms increased in severity as they moved across the coast.”
prep + noun
08. severity assess
Real-World Examples
“The benefits were seen across a wide variety of patients, including people with different levels of disease severity and different body types.” “The overall crime severity index, while it dropped by 4.9% in 2025 compared to 2024, it was up 6.6% from 2015 to 2025.” Etymology
From Middle English severity, from Middle French severite (modern French sévérité), from Latin sevēritās. By surface analysis, severe + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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