adverb

severely

severely, seriously, strictly, harshly

He was severely injured in the accident.

He was severely injured in the accident.

The students were punished severely.

The students were punished severely.

[verb] + severely The students were punished severely.

severely + [adjective/past participle] The building was severely damaged.

Synonyms: badly, seriously, harshly, strictly; Antonyms: mildly, gently, lightly

From the adjective 'severe' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Severe' is from Latin 'severus' (serious, strict).

It's just the adverb form of 'severe'. If something is 'severe', it happens 'severely'.

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