The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - severityn.

1) strictness, harshness, rigour, rigorousness, austerity, hardness, flintiness, inexorability, inexorableness, stringency, oppression, oppressiveness, rigidity, inflexibility, relentlessness, obduracy, obdurateness, pitilessness, mercilessness, cold-bloodedness, abusiveness, cruelty, brutality, meanness, savagery, inhumanity, beastliness, ruthlessness, despotism, tyranny, fastidiousness, exigency: The severity of the discipline was almost unbearable. 2) coldness, aloofness, sternness, gravity, grimness, frigidity, austerity, solemnity: The severity of his look froze me to the spot. 3) dangerousness, acuteness, seriousness, gravity, ferocity, fierceness, virulence, violence, intensity: The severity of the fits has diminished since we put the patient on new medication. 4 stringency, punitiveness, punishment, harshness, onerousness, grievousness, painfulness, burdensomeness, oppressiveness: The severity of the sentence is not inappropriate to the heinousness of the crime. 5) harshness, inclemency, violence, storminess, intensity, ferocity, fierceness, fury, furiousness, tempestuousness: The severity of the weather has interfered with our maintenance of the electrical power lines. 6) plainness, starkness, austerity, asceticism, bareness, modesty, simplicity, primitiveness, spareness, sparseness, monasticism, crudeness: The severity of the cells at the monastery was equalled by the austerity of the regimen.