stern
1[ sturn ]
/ stɜrn /
||
adjective, stern·er, stern·est.
firm, strict, or uncompromising: stern discipline.
hard, harsh, or severe: a stern reprimand.
rigorous or austere; of an unpleasantly serious character: stern times.
grim or forbidding in aspect: a stern face.
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RELATED WORDS
tough, harsh, flinty, hard-nosed, strict, rigid, grim, steely, forbidding, rough, astringent, bitter, ascetic, austere, bullheaded, cruel, disciplinary, dyed-in-the-wool, hard, hard-boiled
Nearby words
Origin of stern
1before 1000; Middle English; Old English styrne
SYNONYMS FOR stern
1, 2 adamant, unrelenting, unsympathetic, cruel, unfeeling. 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 Stern implies uncompromising, inflexible firmness, and sometimes a hard, forbidding, or withdrawn aspect or nature: a stern parent.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.
ANTONYMS FOR stern
1 lenient.
Related formsstern·ly, adverbstern·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for sterner
British Dictionary definitions for sterner (1 of 3)
stern
1/ (stɜːn) /
adjective
showing uncompromising or inflexible resolve; firm, strict, or authoritarian
lacking leniency or clemency; harsh or severe
relentless; unyieldingthe stern demands of parenthood
having an austere or forbidding appearance or nature
Derived Formssternly, adverbsternness, noun
Word Origin for stern
Old English styrne; related to Old High German stornēn to alarm, Latin sternāx stubborn, Greek stereos hard
British Dictionary definitions for sterner (2 of 3)
stern
2/ (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
relating to or located at the stern
Word Origin for stern
C13: from Old Norse stjōrn steering; see steer 1
British Dictionary definitions for sterner (3 of 3)
Stern
/ (stɜːn) /
noun
Isaac. 1920–2001, US concert violinist, born in (what is now) Ukraine
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with sterner
stern
see from soup to nuts (stem to stern).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.