What does severer mean?
Severer is the comparative form of severe, an adjective meaning harsh, strict, intense, or difficult. It is used when comparing two people, things, situations, or courses of action, most often in the structure “severer than”: for example, “The new policy imposes severer penalties.” The word can describe restrictions and punishments, physical conditions such as weather, or abstract differences in difficulty and seriousness. Its tone is generally formal and can imply a notably increased degree of harshness or strictness. Although severe is more commonly encountered as a base form, severer is the appropriate word when an explicit comparison is being made. Together with its related forms severely and severity, it belongs to a productive English word family centered on ideas of force, intensity, and strictness.
adjectiveThe comparative form of severe, meaning greater in severity, strictness, intensity, or difficulty.
- Greater in severity, strictness, intensity, harshness, or difficulty than something else.
"The authorities imposed severer restrictions after the first measures failed to reduce pollution."
"The judge imposed a severer sentence because the defendant had previously violated probation."
"Severer weather conditions forced the organizers to postpone the event."
Severe comes from the Latin severus, meaning strict or stern—fittingly, the word's family also gave English the notion of severity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does severer come from?
Severe entered Middle English through Old French from Latin severus, meaning strict, stern, or harsh. The English comparative severer was formed with the native suffix -er. Latin severus also underlies related words such as severity, while sever and severance belong to a branch derived from Latin severare, meaning to cut off or separate.
Related word forms
How severer is actually used
Severer is the standard comparative adjective of severe and is normally followed by than: severer than. It can qualify measures, consequences, conditions, or anything perceived as less tolerable or more intense.
Easily confused with severer
Severer means more severe and is normally pronounced with stress on the second syllable, whereas a server is a computer, person, or device that provides a service.