Topic Thesaurus
Roget's Thesaurus

Severity

Nouns
  • severity
  • strictness, harshness etc. adj.
  • rigor, stringency, austerity
  • inclemency etc. (pitilessness) Existence4-pity">Pity.1
  • arrogance etc. [Undue assumption of superiority.] Insolence
  • precisianism. arbitrary power
  • absolutism, despotism
  • dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression
  • assumption, usurpation
  • inquisition, reign of terror, martial law
  • iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway
  • tight grasp
  • brute force, brute strength
  • coercion etc. Compulsion
  • strong hand, tight hand. hard lines, hard measure
  • tender mercies [Iron.]
  • sharp practice
  • pipe-clay, officialism. tyrant, disciplinarian, precisian, martinet, stickler, bashaw, despot, hard master, Draco, oppressor, inquisitor, extortioner, harpy, vulture
  • accipitres, birds of prey, raptorials, raptors.
Verbs
  • be severe etc. adj.. assume, usurp, arrogate, take liberties
  • domineer, bully etc. [Undue assumption of superiority.] Insolence
  • tyrannize, inflict, wreak, stretch a point, put on the screw
  • be hard upon
  • bear a heavy hand on, lay a heavy hand on
  • be down upon, come down upon
  • ill treat
  • deal hardly with, deal hard measure to
  • rule with a rod of iron, chastise with scorpions
  • dye with blood
  • oppress, override
  • trample under foot
  • tread under foot, tread upon, trample upon, tread down upon, trample down upon
  • crush under an iron heel, ride roughshod over
  • rivet the yoke
  • hold a tight hand, keep a tight hand
  • force down the throat
  • coerce etc. Compulsion
  • give no quarter etc. (pitiless) Existence4-pity">Pity.1.
Adjectives
  • severe
  • strict, hard, harsh, dour, rigid, stiff, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, exacting, exigent, exigeant, inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, austere, hard-headed, hard-nosed, hard-shell [U.S.], relentless, Spartan, Draconian, stringent, strait-laced, searching, unsparing, iron-handed, peremptory, absolute, positive, arbitrary, imperative
  • coercive etc. Compulsion
  • tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial
  • inclement etc. (ruthless) Existence4-pity">Pity.1
  • cruel etc. (malevolent) Malevolence
  • haughty, arrogant etc. [Undue assumption of superiority.] Insolence
  • precisian.
Adverbs
  • severely etc. adj.
  • with a high hand, with a strong hand, with a tight hand, with a heavy hand. at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet.