severeness

S1E1V4E1R1E1N1E1S1S1

noun

The property of being severe.

“Everyone was surprised by the severeness of the sentence the judge imposed.”

Similar
severitybadnessasperitygrimnesshardshiprigorrigourrigorousness
Scrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounsevereness (usually uncountable, plural severenesses)

plural severenesses

  1. uncountableusuallyThe property of being severe.

    Everyone was surprised by the severeness of the sentence the judge imposed.

    1 more example

    Depending on the severeness of the crime and the danger of the suspect, the apprehender may apply physical force in order to stop the pursued and proceed to his apprehension.

    1996, Chantal Joubert, Hans Bevers, Schengen Investigated, page 305

    Synonyms: severity

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe property of being severe.

Similar
severity

More synonyms by meaning

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

Similar
badnessseverity
Broader
intensityintensiveness

nounsomething hard to endure

Similar
asperitygrimnesshardshiprigorrigourseverityrigorousnessrigourousness
Broader
difficultydifficultness

nounextreme plainness

Similar
austerenessseverity
Broader
plainness

nounexcessive sternness

Similar
severityharshnessrigorrigourrigorousnessrigourousnessinclemencyhardnessstiffness
Broader
sternnessstrictness
Also see
asperityausterenessbadnessgrimnesshardnesshardshipharshnessinclemencyrigorrigorousnessrigourseveritystiffness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From severe + -ness.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

severeness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/severeness

MLA

“severeness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/severeness. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “severeness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/severeness.

Source: severeness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.