stern
adjective
firm, strict, or uncompromising.
stern
1 American
[sturn]
/ stɜrn /
adjective
sterner,
comparative
sternest
superlative
-
firm, strict, or uncompromising.
stern discipline.
- Synonyms:
- unfeeling, cruel, unsympathetic, unrelenting, adamant
- Antonyms:
- lenient
-
hard, harsh, or severe.
a stern reprimand.
- Synonyms:
- unfeeling, cruel, unsympathetic, unrelenting, adamant
-
rigorous or austere; of an unpleasantly serious character.
stern times.
-
grim or forbidding in aspect.
a stern face.
stern
2
American
[sturn]
/ stɜrn /
noun
sterns
plural
-
the after or rear part of a vessel (often opposed to bow orstem ).
The ship's stern was a glory of brightly painted carved figures of knights and mythical beasts.
-
the back or rear of anything.
-
Astronomy. Stern, the constellation Puppis.
-
Fox Hunting. the tail of a hound.
verb (used with or without object)
-
to be the person paddling, steering, working, etc., at the rear of (a vessel).
When you're bird-watching, it's much better to be paddling up front than sterning the canoe.
-
to propel or steer (a vessel) with the after or rear part leading.
We pulled up to the dock 15 minutes later and managed to stern in before dark.
Stern
3
American
[sturn]
/ stɜrn /
noun
-
Isaac, 1920–2001, U.S. violinist, born in Russia.
-
Otto, 1888–1969, U.S. physicist, born in Germany: Nobel Prize 1943.
stern-
4
American
stern
1
British
/ stɜːn /
adjective
-
showing uncompromising or inflexible resolve; firm, strict, or authoritarian
-
lacking leniency or clemency; harsh or severe
-
relentless; unyielding
the stern demands of parenthood
-
having an austere or forbidding appearance or nature
stern
2
British
/ stɜːn /
noun
-
the rear or after part of a vessel, opposite the bow or stem
-
the rear part of any object
-
the tail of certain breeds of dog, such as the foxhound or beagle
adjective
Stern
3
British
/ stɜːn /
noun
stern
Idioms
Synonym Usage
Stern, severe, harsh agree in referring to methods, aspects, manners, or facial expressions. Stern implies uncompromising, inflexible firmness, and sometimes a hard, forbidding, or withdrawn aspect or nature: a stern parent. Severe implies strictness, lack of sympathy, and a tendency to impose a hard discipline on others: a severe judge. Harsh suggests a great severity and roughness, and cruel, unfeeling treatment of others: a harsh critic.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of stern1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English styrne
Origin of stern2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sterne, probably from Old Norse stjōrn “steering” ( see sternpost)
Explanation
You know when you've done something really wrong, and the person who gets you in trouble has that unforgiving look on his face? The best word for that look is stern, meaning "strict" or "severe." Stern, strict, severe, harsh, unforgiving — they all more or less mean the same thing, which is very tough and exacting, with a little helping of seriousness thrown in for good measure. What does this have to do with the stern of a boat, also known as the rear area? Um, nothing? But it's good to know about that meaning too, since it could come in handy some day when you're giving directions on a ship.
Vocabulary lists containing stern
Words Every Pirate Should Know
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Let this be a stern warning to criminals across the world, that South Africa is not a hide-out for fugitives," said Mathe, speaking to reporters.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
A stern, lawyerly Mormon, Greer is seen by most officials as a tough negotiator in the mold of his mentor, former U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
His dry sense of humour shone through at press conferences, far from the serious and stern Clarke which returned post-Brazil.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Goosebumps blossomed on my skin as Mexico’s head coach Javier Aguirre, he of a stern face and gray haircut worthy of a drill sergeant, beamed while singing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
When Roosevelt looked at him, his stern expression startled Rondon.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Epstein warned the prince's business aide, David Stern, against the deal, the files reveal.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Lindsey was good company,” Clinton told Howard Stern in 2019, “he was funny, he was self-deprecating. He also believed in climate change back in those days.”
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
For the troubling implications, let’s turn to my colleague Mark Joseph Stern, who’s been covering the court for more than a decade.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026
It’s important to note that the hardcore World Cup fans don’t represent the average European traveler, according to Joseph Foudy, a professor of economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
As he was frantically searching the cattle cars filled with people, looking for Stern, Schindler spotted Tsalig and recognized him as his worker Moshe's son.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
As near as I can tell, she has not got no wheel at all, side- or stern-.
From J. Poindexter, Colored by Cobb, Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury)
Upon closer approach the river shore was seen to be lined with scows and rowboats; a stern- wheeled river steamer lay moored abreast of the town.
From The Winds of Chance by Beach, Rex Ellingwood
The men laid the fault on the stern- looking husband; the women, on the minx of a wife.
From Paul Clifford — Volume 06 by Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
"Forty, I should say — very handsome — rather stern- looking — and rich."
From Far from the Madding Crowd by Hardy, Thomas
In a few days I presented myself to a tall, stern- visaged man, who was slowly pacing the leeward side of the quarter- deck.
From The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales With Condensed Novels, Spanish and American Legends, and Earlier Papers by Harte, Bret
Navy said Revolutionary Guard vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of several American ships at close range and high speed in the northern Gulf.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 22, 2020
With the sterns half-ashore, breakers could then cut in and dismantle the ships laterally, as a snacker might eat through a baguette.
From The Guardian ● May 2, 2017
Thousands of office workers rush past it every day without noticing its three bay windows carved as the sterns of baroque frigates, complete with waves, dolphins and trailing seaweed.
From New York Times ● Feb. 27, 2015
The destroyers increased their own speed to 30 knots, began running a zigzag course, and kept their narrow sterns to the approaching blips.
From Time Magazine Archive
They are long, with pointed sterns and elaborately painted bodies.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
With his latest, “Kontinental ’25,” Jude — who also put out a coarsely wacky version of “Dracula” last year — shifts away from clownishness and toward a sterner register of concern for society.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Rosenior will face a sterner test in his first home game on Wednesday when Chelsea host Premier League leaders Arsenal in the League Cup semi-final first leg.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
Both of O'Neill's Premiership matches have been at home and sterner tests than Falkirk and Kilmarnock await.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2025
But it remains to be seen whether this president and the country he leads are ready for the sterner tests to come.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
Jeyne covered her eyes whenever a man fell, like a frightened little girl, but Sansa was made of sterner stuff.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
It was probably the sternest test the Americans have faced in the tournament.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
The blockage in the Persian Gulf poses the sternest test the reserves have ever faced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
The challenge comes just as investors’ appetite for risk, and sentiment regarding tech stocks, face their sternest tests since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.
From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026
In death penalty cases, the legal system is put to its sternest test.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2025
The principal nodded slightly but gave his sternest look before asking for one hundred dollars.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
