a severe enough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a severe enough" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a situation or condition that is serious or intense to a sufficient degree. Example: "The storm was a severe enough threat that the authorities issued a warning to all residents."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

A severe enough violation might result in "kesepekang", a kind of ostracism.

The Economist

Key to the U.S. process was providing transparency, a severe enough test, and a backstop to recapitalize weak banks.

The New York Times

Judge McLaughlin also said inappropriate remarks from boys did not constitute a severe enough disruption to justify the prohibition.

The New York Times

"Sometimes we don't even see the athletes unless they think it's a severe enough injury to come see the doctor".

BBC

"Of these four, three already have a severe enough clinical picture to fear that even in the best situation there will be an irreversible handicap," Edan said.

Science Magazine

Governments around the world are split on how to characterize loot boxes, with Belgium taking a severe enough stance that Blizzard was forced to stop offering loot boxes for real money in its popular team shooter Overwatch.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Now that the film has been seen and discussed throughout the country, Zambian law makers have passed a law against domestic violence with a penalty severe enough to be a deterrent, she says.

Huffington Post

Dr. Jackson stressed, however, that the absolute risk of a child having a reaction severe enough to warrant medical attention is still quite small, regardless of whether the shot is given in the arm or leg.

The New York Times

So there's a pretty good chance that the months ahead will see a slowdown severe enough to cause a rise in the unemployment rate.

The New York Times

Children were defined as having "severe asthma" if in the past 12 months at least one of the following were reported: 4 or more wheezing attacks, waking at night with wheezing one or more times a week, an attack severe enough to limit speech to only one or two words at a time between breaths, or a hospital admission for asthma.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

It could be estimated by adapt-or-die experiments in which a dilution series of a test organism is exposed to a stress severe enough to cause population decline, but we do not know of any published estimates except those involving resistance to a lethal stress, usually a toxin such as an antibiotic.

Evolutionary Applications

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a severe enough", ensure the noun it modifies is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. For example, specify "a severe enough storm" rather than just "a severe enough situation".

Common error

Avoid using "a severe enough" in very casual conversation. Opt for simpler alternatives like "bad enough" or "serious enough" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a severe enough" primarily functions as a pre-modifying adjective phrase. It qualifies a noun, indicating that the noun possesses a characteristic (severity) to a sufficient degree. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage and provides various real-world examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a severe enough" is a grammatically correct and commonly used adjective phrase to describe something that has reached a critical level of intensity or seriousness. Ludwig AI confirms this, showing that it appears across diverse contexts, including News & Media and Scientific publications. While it's versatile, it's important to consider the context to ensure the level of formality aligns appropriately. While simpler alternatives exist, "a severe enough" is best suited for scenarios where emphasizing the gravity of a situation is key.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

serious enough

This option eliminates the article 'a', maintaining the severity level but with a slightly different grammatical structure.

sufficiently serious

This alternative replaces "severe enough" with a more formal tone, emphasizing the adequacy of the seriousness.

intense enough

Substitutes 'severe' with 'intense', focusing on the degree of strength or force.

sufficiently grave

The term 'grave' replaces 'severe', indicating a serious or critical situation.

of sufficient severity

This alternative uses a more formal structure, changing the word order and using the noun form of 'severe'.

adequately critical

Changes 'severe' to 'critical' and 'enough' to 'adequately', underlining the decisiveness of the situation.

serious to a sufficient extent

This option rephrases the expression to highlight the degree or scope of the seriousness.

sufficiently acute

Replaces 'severe' with 'acute', emphasizing sharpness or suddenness.

critical to the required extent

Changes both 'severe' and 'enough' for emphasis on the necessity of the criticality.

bad enough

This alternative uses a more informal term, 'bad', while keeping the qualifying 'enough'.

FAQs

How can I use "a severe enough" in a sentence?

Use "a severe enough" to describe a condition or situation that has reached a critical level. For example, "The injury was "severe enough" to require surgery".

What phrases can I use instead of "a severe enough"?

You can use alternatives such as "sufficiently serious", "serious enough", or "sufficiently grave" depending on the formality of the context.

Is it more appropriate to say "severe enough" or "a severe enough"?

The inclusion of the article "a" depends on the context. If you are describing a specific instance or condition, "a severe enough" is appropriate. If you're speaking more generally, you might omit the "a".

What's the difference between "serious enough" and "a severe enough"?

"Serious enough" is generally more informal and widely applicable. "A severe enough" implies a higher degree of intensity or criticality and is often used in more formal contexts.