What is the Latin word for severe?

The usual Latin words for “severe” are dūrus, molestus, gravis; also ācer, acerbus, inīquus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“severe” in Latin

dūrushard; rough; harsh; hardy; vigorous molestustroublesome, irksome, grievous, annoying, tiresome gravisheavy; pregnant; troublesome, hard ācersharp, sour, bitter, pungent; keen, sharp, acute, sagacious; energetic, active, vigorous acerbusharsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable; sharp, severe, bitter (i.e., extremely painful); rough, vi inīquusunjust, unfair; unequal, uneven; unfavourable, disadvantageous austērusaustere, plain; harsh, bitter, sour; sharp, pungent, tart sevērussevere, serious, strict, stern, stringent, austere, harsh, grave (in demeanor)atrōxfierce, savage, bloody; heinous, cruel, severe; terrible, frightening, dreadful saevusfurious, ferocious, fierce, violent, barbarous, cruel, savage

The English word severe itself goes back to Latin sevērus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

severe

durus; molestus (troublesome): gravis (oppressive): acer (violent, severe): acerbus (sour, peevish): iniquus (unjust; hence oppressive, hard): austerus (grave): severus (rigid, strict, harsh): very severe, atrox (fierce); saevus (cruel). A severe battle, proelium durum (Liv., 40, 16); certamen acre; pugna or proelium atrox (very severe): there was a severe battle, acriter or acerrimo concursu pugnabatur: severe toil, labor gravis or molestus: a severe disease, morbus durus, gravis, or periculosus: to have a severe complaint or disease, gravi morbo laborare or conflictari; graviter aegrotare or jacere: a severe winter, hiems gravis or acris: very severe, hiems atrox or saeva: a severe government, imperium grave, iniquum, or acerbum; imperii acerbitas: if I should experience a severe stroke (of misfortune, etc.), si mihi aliquid acerbitatis accident; si durior acciderit casus. Vid: also, HARSH, STRICT

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for severe?: The usual Latin words for “severe” are dūrus, molestus, gravis; also ācer, acerbus, inīquus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.