"That sounds pretty severe to me, don't you think?"

The words sounded severe, but there was nothing except amusement in her voice.

He tried to sound severe: "The way you do talk."

I realized, to my relief, that I sounded both fearless and severe.

He did his best to sound severe: "I think you're just trying to butter me up."

"The door," she said, trying to sound severe, "was locked."

He tried to sound severe but was very relieved as he dropped the stone.

"True," Susannah said, sounding severe, "but you know what my daddy always used to say?"

"Carrot Top, I warned you about that," she said, trying to sound severe.