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.

While stern with the lawyers, Gonzalez Rogers was friendly with the jurors.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

"On May 4, two unidentified aircraft struck the outer plate of the port-side ballast tank at the stern of the HMM Namu at roughly one-minute intervals, causing flames and smoke," he said.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

"Bolivia will provide us with a feel for South American opposition, and will no doubt give us a stern test as they recover from the disappointment of defeat in the World Cup play-offs."

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

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

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

Mr. Hodges was a tall, sandy-haired young man, with a long face that looked stern until he smiled.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

Vocabulary lists containing stern

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List 6

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