severelyadverb
uk/sɪˈvɪə.li/us/səˈvɪr.li/severely adverb (VERY SERIOUSLY)
B2 very seriously:
Their daughter was severely injured in a car accident.
severely disabled/handicapped
Job opportunities are severely limited/restricted at the moment.
More examples
- Their movements have been severely circumscribed since the laws came into effect.
- The arms-dealing affair has severely damaged the reputation of the government.
- The last government severely curtailed trade union rights.
- The accident left him severely disabled.
- The court heard how the child had been severely ill-treated by his parents.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Complicated and difficult to do
- advanced
- ambitious
- another
- arduous
- as much as you can do idiom
- fiddly
- fiendish
- fierce
- formidable
- get blood out of/from a stone idiom
- murky
- painstaking
- picnic
- problematic
- punishing
- rigorous
- uphill
- vexed
- wearing
- wearying
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severely adverb (NOT KINDLY)
in a way that is not kind or does not show sympathy:
I was severely reprimanded by my boss.
"I will not allow that kind of behaviour in my class," the teacher said severely.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Severe
- an iron hand/fist in a velvet glove idiom
- austere
- authoritarian
- be heavy on sb idiom
- disciplinarian
- flinty
- hard
- heavy
- iron
- pitiless
- rigour
- roundly
- rule sth with an iron hand/fist idiom
- severe
- sharp
- stern
- strict
- strictly
- strictness
- take a hard line on sb/sth idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Serious and severe
severely adverb (PLAINLY)
completely plainly:
She dresses very severely.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Plain and ordinary
- as it comes idiom
- austere
- austerity
- be a dime a dozen idiom
- be two/ten a penny idiom
- dime
- homely
- homespun
- homey
- humble
- humdrum
- kitchen-sink
- penny
- shout
- simple
- something/nothing to shout about idiom
- spartan
- stale
- stark
- starkly
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