Chinese word

严厉

Pronunciation

Pinyinyán lì

Meaning

  • adjectivestrict

Example

老师对迟到的学生很严厉。lǎo shī duì chí dào de xué shēng hěn yán lì

The teacher is very strict with students who are late.

Illustration for 严厉 (strict)

More examples

法院对非法排污的企业作出了严厉的处罚。fǎ yuàn duì fēi fǎ pái wū de qǐ yè zuò chū le yán lì de chǔ fá

The court imposed a severe penalty on companies that illegally discharged wastewater.

Core concept

A stern hand that leaves little room for leniency after a mistake or broken rule.

Common phrases

  • 严厉批评yán lì pī píng

    severe criticism

  • 遭到严厉批评zāo dào yán lì pī píng

    be severely criticized

  • 严厉惩罚yán lì chéng fá

    severe punishment

Similar words

严格yán gé: Enforcing rules or standards strictly and making people follow every detail.
严苛yán kē: Making conditions or demands so severe that there is very little room to adapt.
严谨yán jǐn: Showing careful attention to detail and a precise, orderly way of working.

Definition in Chinese

以严肃、不通融的方式对错误或违纪行为进行批评或处罚。yǐ yán sù bù tōng róng de fāng shì duì cuò wù huò wéi jì xíng wéi jìn xíng pī píng huò chǔ fá

Word origin

严 (yán, "strict") + 厉 (lì, "severe") combine to describe criticism or punishment that allows little room for leniency.

Usage tips

  • This adjective usually evaluates how an authority figure treats mistakes, so it can sound more critical than a neutral description of firm standards.

Other meanings

  • harshadjective
  • unforgivingadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word