Roget's Thesaurus

#739. Severity

Nouns

severity; strictness, harshness etc. adj.; rigor, stringency, austerity; inclemency etc. (pitilessness) 914a; arrogance etc. 885; 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. 744; 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. 885; 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. 744; give no quarter etc. (pitiless) 914a.

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. 744; tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial; inclement etc. (ruthless) 914a; cruel etc. (malevolent) 907; haughty, arrogant etc. 885; 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.

Phrases

Delirant reges plectuntur Achivi [Lat.]; manu forti [Lat.]; ogni debole ha sempre il suo tiranno [It.].