Of a fierce, savage, or violent disposition or character; stern, truculent. Obsolete.

Of a thing: terrible, dreadful; fierce; (of judgement) harsh, severe.

Hard, severe, stern, harsh, austere, cruel towards persons or things. Obsolete.

Violent, harsh, severe. Of a person, or a person's heart, character, etc.: harsh, severe, pitiless. In later use chiefly with reference to the…

Of persons and things personified, their dispositions and temper: Severe, strict, inflexible; rigorous in punishment or condemnation; not inclined…

Of a person: harsh or severe in dealing with another or others; strict in rule or discipline. See also phrases 1a.

Difficult or awkward to deal with; haughty, arrogant; rigorous, hard, severe: the opposite of affable. Obsolete.

Severe, strict, harsh. Of punishment, persecution, laws, etc., also of a judge, lawgiver, etc.: Severe, merciless.

Of persons: Harsh, severe, stern.

Stern in manner, appearance, or disposition; severe in judgement or punishment; (of an action, disposition, etc.) strict, harsh.

Of persons and their actions: Severe, harsh, stern. Obsolete.

Severe, sharp, unsparing.

Full of sternness, severe, bold. Obsolete or archaic.

Severe, stern.

Of a person, a person's disposition or behaviour, etc.: characterized by severity, sternness, or grim fortitude; hardy, robust.

Severe, bitter; sharp or piercing; stinging or wounding to the feelings.

Austere, severe, harsh, bitter, morose.

= tetrical, adj.

Severe, stern, hard, or harsh. Of persons. Now dialect. (Common in 16th cent.)

Of a person, character, etc.: austere, severe, not gentle. Now rare.

Of persons, their temper, disposition, etc.: Rigorous in one's treatment of, or attitude towards, offenders; unsparing in the exaction of…

Having or exhibiting a firm or cruel control or authority; forceful, severe.

Pertaining to or resembling Cato; severe, stern, austere.

= tetric, adj.1

Also: ponderously dignified; stern, repressive, unbending: esp. heavy father, heavy uncle, which are also used as attributive phrases (= sternly…

Of speech, manner, or temper: bitter and sharp; forthright and cutting. Later also in literal sense of food or flavour: astringently sour or…

figurative. Severe, stern; angry.

Resolute in dealing with opposition; vigorously uncompromising; severe; esp. in to get tough (cf. get, v. compounds c). colloquial (originally U.S.).