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sévir

act harshly

verb seh-VEER Rare
People & Society Government

Origin: Latin saevire (to be fierce)

Also means

rage (of disease/crime)

Usage Note

sévir is used in two main ways: authorities sévissent contre wrongdoers (crack down on), and plagues or problems sévissent somewhere (rage, wreak havoc). La grippe sévit en hiver (flu rages in winter) is a typical use. The related adjective sévère (severe, strict) shares the same Latin root.

Examples

"La police a décidé de sévir contre le trafic."

Natural Translation

The police decided to crack down on the trafficking.

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