sternly
Americanadverb
-
in a firm, strict, or austere way.
Unless the government sternly cracks down on the underground economy, citizens will never pay their taxes diligently.
-
in a harsh, severe, or grim way.
Any baker caught mixing sawdust with bread or butcher selling horse meat as beef was immediately and sternly punished.
Etymology
Origin of sternly
First recorded before 1000; stern 1 ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
The “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check” and “Calm Down” rap veteran, 53, sternly set the record straight for the social media troll during an exchange Sunday at Art Basel in Miami Beach.
From Los Angeles Times
“Like a big sister who everyone ignores when cooing over the new baby,” she scolded herself sternly.
From Literature
“Woof,” repeated Mama Woof, more sternly this time.
From Literature
“I did not ask to buy your velocipede; I asked to borrow it,” she replied sternly.
From Literature
“The Insider” details these events sternly but with evident reluctance.
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.
