stern

[sturn] / stɜrn /

ADJECTIVE

serious, authoritarian

Synonyms

STRONGEST

flinty grim hard-nosed harsh rigid steely strict tough

STRONG

ascetic astringent bitter forbidding rough

WEAK

austere bullheaded by the book cruel disciplinary dyed-in-the-wool frowning hang-tough hard hard-boiled hard-core hard-line hard-shell hardheaded implacable inexorable inflexible mortified mulish relentless rigorous severe stiff-necked stubborn unrelenting unsparing unyielding

Antonyms

STRONGEST

easy flexible gentle kind lenient nice soft yielding

STRONG

bland mild

WEAK

cheerful funny light smiling tolerant

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.

American presidents have issued stern warnings to the country’s adversaries before.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

Northampton were given a stern examination of their Champions Cup credentials by impressive Castres as they came out on top of an engrossing contest to book their place in the quarter-finals.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Issa is solidly built, close-shaved, stern in command but given to bouts of merriment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

There was the neatly coiffed hair, the nicely fitting suit, the smartly positioned tie, even the painfully stern expression from a guy who left no doubt who was running the show.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

It was a carrack, that type of vessel with high structures called “castles” in its bow and stern and a low expanse of decking in the middle.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Vocabulary lists containing stern

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"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

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List 6

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