severe question

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "severe question" is not commonly used in written English and may not convey the intended meaning clearly.
It could be used in contexts where a question is particularly serious or challenging, but it is not a standard expression. Example: "The committee posed a severe question regarding the project's feasibility that left everyone in deep thought."

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Whittingdale said: "Panorama increases the strength of the case considerably for a new inquiry … There is a severe question mark over over the tactics he [Mahmood] used … We are dealing with convictions which may not have been properly obtained".

The Guardian

The morality and even the efficacy of saturation bombing came under severe question after the war, and, disappointed by such reappraisal of his war aims and methods, Harris lived for a time in South Africa, where from 1946 to 1953 he was managing director of the South African Marine Corporation.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The degradation of sidelobe level of array pattern becomes a severe question if sidelobe region was set null.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

AMA president, Cecil B. Wilson, M.D., said, "Unless those regulations are done in the right way, this whole effort to expand accountable care organizations across this country and improve health care, and to a great extent the outcome of the Affordable Care Act, will be in severe question".

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Denman, in particular, has some severe questions to confront at Cheltenham.

The Guardian - Sport

To optimize screening and early intervention programs to prevent progression to severe disease, several questions must be answered: a) How rapidly do individuals with exposure develop BeS? b) How likely are BeS individuals to develop CBD? c) What is the time course of these changes?

Environmental Health Perspectives

Those words and actions have been so severe they've raised serious questions about their impact on suicide rates of LGBT youth inside the faith, including Harry Fisher, whose death was closely linked to his experience as a gay Mormon man.

Huffington Post

"The situation here is severe — a question of which churches will be abandoned next," said the Rev. Shigeshi Oyama, 61, who, because of a shortage of priests, celebrated Mass at two churches on the Fifth Sunday of Lent recently.

The New York Times

The presented long-term outcome perceptions after moderate to severe TBI question current clinical and experimental results of deteriorated recovery for the immature brain.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Some patients explicitly stated that their suffering was unbearable, while others said that they did suffer unbearably but not all the time or said that their suffering was severe but questioned whether it was unbearable.

British Medical Journal

He tells Sleeper, "A governor has to balance a budget, has to achieve a result, and almost always it's a compromise, sometimes a compromise so severe that you question whether you achieved any of a number of even alternative goods.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you want to emphasize the gravity or potential consequences of a question, use "severe question". It conveys a sense of importance and seriousness.

Common error

Avoid using "severe question" in contexts where a simpler adjective like "serious" or "critical" would suffice. Overusing it can make your writing sound melodramatic or unnatural.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "severe question" functions as a noun phrase, where "severe" modifies the noun "question". It is used to describe the nature or quality of the question being posed. Ludwig AI suggests that this phrase, while understandable, might be replaced by more common alternatives such as "serious question" or "critical question".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

25%

Science

25%

Encyclopedias

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "severe question" is a grammatically acceptable way to describe a question of significant importance or difficulty. However, Ludwig AI suggests that it is not as commonly used as alternatives like "serious question" or "critical question". The phrase appears in various contexts, including news and media, science, and encyclopedias, indicating its versatility. While "severe question" effectively conveys the gravity of the inquiry, writers should be mindful of its relatively low frequency and consider whether a more common alternative would be more appropriate. When you want to stress that a "serious question" needs answering then use "severe question".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

critical question

Replaces "severe" with "critical", emphasizing the importance of the question.

serious question

Substitutes "severe" with "serious", indicating a question that requires careful consideration.

pressing question

Replaces "severe" with "pressing", highlighting the urgency of the question.

thorny question

Uses "thorny" instead of "severe" to convey the complexity and difficulty of the question.

challenging question

Replaces "severe" with "challenging", emphasizing the difficulty in answering the question.

difficult question

A more straightforward substitution, using "difficult" to describe the question.

complex question

Highlights the multifaceted nature of the question, making it hard to address.

grave question

Uses "grave" instead of "severe" to suggest the serious implications of the question.

momentous question

Highlights that the matter raised by the question is of major importance.

fundamental question

Emphasizes the foundational nature of the question.

FAQs

What does "severe question" mean?

A "severe question" implies a "serious question" or a "critical question" that needs to be addressed with utmost attention, often due to its potential impact or complexity.

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

You might use "severe question" when discussing a matter of great importance. For example: "The ethics committee raised a "severe question" about the experimental protocol".

What are some alternatives to "severe question"?

Alternatives to "severe question" include "serious question", "critical question", "pressing question", or "challenging question". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is "severe question" a common phrase?

While grammatically correct, "severe question" is not as common as alternatives like "serious question" or "critical question". Using those phrases will generally sound more natural.