severely
part of speech
adverb (severely)
meaning for a pupil
1) Very badly or seriously: The house was severely damaged. tree →
2) Strictly or harshly: He was severely punished. tree →
3) Plainly, without decoration: a severely plain dress. tree →
sense in the lessons
In news, safety and science: «severely injured», «severely flooded», «severe weather warning» — it means serious danger. In stories a strict teacher speaks severely. In maths, «sales fell severely» means a big drop. Phrases: «severely damaged», «severely injured», «severely punished», «severely limited».
examples
- The storm severely damaged the roof. tree →
- He was severely injured in the crash. tree →
- The teacher looked at us severely. tree →
- Water is severely limited in the desert. tree →
- The crops were severely hit by drought. tree →
- Do not severely punish a puppy; teach it kindly. tree →
- The town was severely flooded. tree →
- The hawk fell heavily under a big stone, severely wounded in its right wing. tree →
note
From «severe» + «-ly» (keep the e: severe-ly). Similar: badly, seriously, harshly, strictly. Opposite: mildly, slightly.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «severely» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.