stern
[adjective]
Synonyms: severe, austere, forbidding, grim, hard, harsh, inflexible, rigid, serious, strict

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Antonyms: lenient, soft
Related Words: grim, implacable, unrelenting, inexorable, inflexible

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English Thesaurus: strict, firm, tough, stern, harsh, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. Stern, David
(1942–) an official who became the commissioner of the National Basketball Association in the US in 1984. He also helped begin the Women's National Basketball Association in 1997.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. Stern, Howard
(1954–) a US radio talk show host who is famous for trying to shock and offend the people who listen to and call his show. The name ‘shock jock’ was invented to describe what he does.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. Stern, Isaac
(1920–2001) a US violin player, born in Russia

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. stern¹ /stɜːn $ stɜːrn/ adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: styrne]

1. serious and strict, and showing strong disapproval of someone’s behaviour:
sterner penalties for drug offences
stern look/voice/expression etc
‘Wait!’ I shouted in my sternest voice.
stern warning/rebuke
His actions have earned him stern rebukes from human rights organizations.

2. be made of sterner stuff to have a strong character and be more determined than other people to succeed in a difficult situation:
Ann, made of sterner stuff than I, refused all offers of help.
—sternly adverb
—sternness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. stern² noun [countable usually singular]
[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: Probably from Old Norse stjorn 'steering']
the back of a ship ⇒ bow

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

strict expecting people to obey rules or to do what you say – used especially about parents, teachers, or organizations:
Our teachers were very strict.
Most schools are quite strict about the way students dress.
firm showing that you are in control of the situation and will not change your opinion, especially when you are telling someone what to do:
You have to be firm with young children.
I’ll be firm with him and tell him he can’t have any more money.
tough determined that your orders or decisions will be obeyed, especially in order to make sure that a situation improves – used especially when you think that someone is right to be strict:
We need a government that is tough on crime.
She can be quite tough with her students, but they respect her for it.
The chancellor has got to be tough and keep government spending down.
stern strict in a serious, disapproving, and rather unfriendly way:
Her grandfather was a stern man who rarely smiled.
Sheila walked into the museum, under the stern gaze of the curator.
harsh punishing or criticizing someone in a way that seems very severe, often too severe:
Don’t be too harsh on her – she’s only a child.
It may seem harsh to punish him, but he has to learn that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.
Her reaction to the child’s bad behaviour was unnecessarily harsh.
authoritarian disapproving very strict about forcing people to obey rules or laws, and punishing them very severely if they fail to do this – used about people and governments:
Her father was very authoritarian and insisted on total obedience.
an authoritarian government
tight tight controls or limits are very strict about what is allowed and what is not allowed:
The report recommends tighter controls on the advertising of alcohol.
There are tight regulations governing waste disposal.
stringent controlling what people can do with rules that have very high standards:
There are now stringent controls on pollution from all power stations.
stringent new food safety regulations

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲