严厉 (yán lì) — severe, strict | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

严厉 (yán lì) describes a person's strictness or severity in attitude, punishment, or discipline — often used for a father, teacher, or rules that are enforced harshly. It differs from 严格 (yán gé), which focuses on rigorous standards or requirements, and from 严峻 (yán jùn), which describes a grim or challenging situation.

adjective

severestrict

Easily confused

艳丽yàn lìsound-alike(of colors, flowers, clothing) gorgeous, strikingly beautiful

Examples

严厉，。
Tā de fùqin hěn yán lì, duì tā yāoqiú hěn gāo.
His father is very strict and has high expectations of him.
严厉，。
Gōngsī zhìdìng le yán lì de guīdìng, wéifǎn zhě huì bèi kāichú.
The company has set strict rules; violators will be fired.
严厉。
Lǎoshī yán lì de pīpíng le chídào de xuéshēng.
The teacher severely criticized the student who was late.

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