INDEX:
1. people/organizations
2. rules/laws/systems
3. to treat someone strictly
4. to deal very strictly with bad behaviour or crime
5. punishments/criticism
6. to make rules less strict
7. to become less strict
8. people/attitudes that are not strict
9. criticism/punishment that is not strict
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ RULE/REGULATION
↑ OBEY
↑ DISOBEY
↑ PUNISH
↑ TELL SB OFF
◆◆◆
1. people/organizations
▷ strict /strɪkt/ [adjective]
someone who is strict makes people obey rules and refuses to let people disobey them - use this especially about parents, teachers, or organizations :
▪ Teachers need to be strict , but also fair.
strict with
▪ I think you’re too strict with your children.
strict about
▪ The manager is very strict about people getting to work on time.
▪ Most schools are quite strict about the way students dress.
strictly [adverb]
▪ They brought their children up very strictly.
▷ firm /fɜːʳm/ [adjective]
if you are firm with someone, you tell them that they must accept what you say because you are not going to change it :
▪ Emily was polite but firm - her answer was ‘no’.
firm with
▪ You’ll just have to be firm with him and tell him he can’t have any more money.
firmly [adverb]
▪ ‘No,’ she said firmly, ‘you can’t go.’
▪ She told me quite firmly that she wasn’t prepared to give any more time to the project.
▷ tough /tʌf/ [adjective] informal
determined that your orders or decisions will be obeyed, especially in order to make sure a situation or someone’s progress improves - use this especially when you think that someone is right to be strict :
▪ The chancellor has got to be tough and keep government spending down.
tough on
▪ We need a government that is tough on crime.
tough with
▪ She’s quite tough with her students.
▷ stern /stɜːʳn/ [adjective] written
strict in a serious, disapproving, and unfriendly way :
▪ Her grandfather was a stern man who rarely smiled.
▪ Sheila walked into the museum, under the stern gaze of the curator.
sternly [adverb]
▪ ‘What’s all this nonsense about?’ asked my uncle sternly.
▷ harsh /hɑːʳʃ/ [adjective]
cruel and not sympathetic in the way that you deal with bad behaviour or mistakes :
▪ 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.
harshly [adverb]
▪ He spoke firmly but not harshly.
▷ authoritarian /ɔːˌθɒrɪˈte ə riən, ɔːˌθɒrəˈte ə riənǁɔːˌθɑː-, əˌθɔː-/ [adjective]
forcing people to obey rules or laws, and punishing them severely if they do not :
▪ Their father was authoritarian in the home, insisting on total obedience.
▪ Many people are now demanding a more democratic and less authoritarian form of government.
authoritarian regime
▪ an extreme right-wing, authoritarian regime
▷ be a stickler for /biː ə ˈstɪkləʳ fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to demand that people keep strictly to rules, customs etc, especially in a way that people think is unnecessary and old-fashioned :
▪ The caretaker is a real stickler for rules.
▪ My mother was a stickler for cleanliness.
▷ disciplinarian /ˌdɪsɪpləˈne ə riən, ˌdɪsəpləˈne ə riən/ [countable noun]
a very strict person who believes that people should obey rules and orders, and who punishes those who do not :
▪ The store manager was a disciplinarian, but was always fair to his staff.
strict disciplinarian
▪ She was a wonderful teacher, but a strict disciplinarian.
2. rules/laws/systems
▷ strict /strɪkt/ [adjective usually before noun]
strict rules, laws, etc are very clear and must always be obeyed :
▪ There are strict rules about the use of dangerous chemicals.
▪ He had strict instructions to return the key to me.
strictly [adverb]
▪ Smoking is strictly forbidden in this area.
▷ tough /tʌf/ [adjective]
tough laws or rules are very strict and do not allow much freedom :
▪ The federal government is introducing tough new rules to control immigration.
▪ Opposition leaders are demanding tougher laws against drinking and driving.
▷ harsh /hɑːʳʃ/ [adjective]
a harsh law or system of government has strict rules and severe punishments - use this about something that you think is unfair and too strict :
▪ The government has brought in harsh measures to combat the rioting taking place in many cities.
▪ a harsh military regime
harshly [adverb]
▪ Many of the prisoners were treated very harshly.
▷ stringent /ˈstrɪndʒənt/ [adjective]
controlled very strictly by rules that have very high standards :
stringent controls/measures/regulations etc
▪ There are now stringent controls on pollution from all power stations.
▪ stringent air safety regulations
▷ rigid /ˈrɪdʒɪd, ˈrɪdʒəd/ [adjective]
rigid systems or rules are very strict and difficult to change :
▪ He built the team through hard training and rigid discipline.
▪ It is not possible to lay down rigid rules on sentencing - judges must be free to use their discretion.
▷ tight /taɪt/ [adjective]
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 cigarettes.
▪ Laws controlling the emission of greenhouse gases are not nearly tight enough.
▷ draconian /drəˈkəʊniən/ [adjective] formal
draconian laws/measures/penalties etc
laws or punishments that are extremely strict or cruel :
▪ The government has imposed draconian penalties for anyone found in possession of illegal drugs.
▪ Draconian measures have been implemented to control population growth.
3. to treat someone strictly
▷ be hard on /biː ˈhɑːʳd ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to treat someone very strictly and sometimes unfairly :
▪ Sometimes I think you’re too hard on that boy.
▪ Don’t be too hard on her. She didn’t mean to break it.
▷ get tough with /get ˈtʌf wɪð/ [verb phrase]
to begin to treat someone strictly because they have been doing something that is wrong or illegal :
▪ At last the government is starting to get tough with dealers who sell dangerous second-hard cars.
▪ Football clubs have been told that they must get tough with violent fans.
▷ stand/take no nonsense /ˌstænd, ˌteɪk nəʊ ˈnɒns ə nsǁ-ˈnɑːnsens/ [verb phrase]
if you say that you stand or take no nonsense, you mean you treat other people strictly, but in a way that makes people respect you :
▪ I won’t stand any nonsense. I want you all in bed by nine o'clock.
stand/take no nonsense from
▪ She was a very good teacher who would take no nonsense from her students.
▷ rule with a rod of iron /ˌruːl wɪð ə ˌrɒd əv ˈaɪəʳnǁ-ˌrɑːd-/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to control an organization or group of people very strictly, by always punishing people if they do not obey you :
▪ Their mother ruled their life with a rod of iron.
▪ The Secret police ruled the city with a rod of iron.
▷ keep a tight rein on /kiːp ə ˌtaɪt ˈreɪn ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to strictly control someone’s behaviour, for example by not allowing them to do things without asking your permission :
▪ They keep a very tight rein on their children.
▪ The government has promised to keep a tight rein on public spending.
4. to deal very strictly with bad behaviour or crime
▷ come down hard on /ˌkʌm daʊn ˈhɑːʳd ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to deal very strictly with a bad behaviour or crime by punishing people severely for it :
▪ You’ll find that Mr Evans comes down very hard on people who don’t do their job properly.
▪ The authorities are really coming down hard on tax evasion.
▷ crack down on /ˌkræk ˈdaʊn ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to start dealing with an illegal activity in a much stricter way than before :
▪ The Athletics Federation plans to crack down on drug and steroid abuse by athletes.
▪ The government has promised to crack down on crime.
▪ City authorities were quick to crack down on the rioters.
crack-down /ˈkræk daʊn/ [countable noun]
▪ In the first week of the police crack-down, over 500 car thieves were arrested.
crack down on
▪ a crack-down on drug dealers
▷ clamp down on /ˌklæmp ˈdaʊn ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to treat a particular crime or activity much more strictly than before to stop it from becoming more common :
▪ New laws will clamp down on the illegal smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco.
▪ Recently the courts have clamped down on joy-riding.
clamp-down /ˈklæmp daʊn/ [countable noun]
clamp down on
▪ Children’s organizations are calling for a clamp-down on TV violence.
▷ tighten up /ˌtaɪtn ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make rules, laws, or controls more strict so that it is harder for people to break them :
▪ The prime minister has promised to tighten up the law on carbon dioxide emissions.
tighten up on
▪ The music industry is determined to tighten up on the illegal copying of CDs.
5. punishments/criticism
▷ severe /sɪˈvɪəʳ, səˈvɪəʳ/ [adjective]
use this to describe a punishment or criticism that is very strict :
▪ There are very severe penalties for drug dealing.
▪ Many people feel the punishment should have been more severe.
▪ The organization has been the subject of severe criticism for the way it treated its staff.
severely [adverb]
▪ Anyone caught breaking the rules will be severely punished.
▷ heavy /ˈhevi/ [adjective]
use this to describe a punishment that is strict :
heavy fine
▪ Companies that continue to cause pollution will now face heavy fines.
heavy penalty
▪ There are heavy penalties for anyone caught in possession of counterfeit money.
▷ stiff /stɪf/ [adjective]
use this to describe an official punishment that is more strict than usual :
stiff fine
▪ Motorists who do not obey the rules will face stiff fines of up to £3000.
stiff penalty
▪ Magistrates now have the power to impose stiff penalties on the parents of children who fail to turn up for school.
stiff sentence
▪ For crimes involving the use of guns, the sentences are particularly stiff.
6. to make rules less strict
▷ relax /rɪˈlæks/ [transitive verb]
to make rules, laws, or controls less strict :
▪ The government proposes to relax the rules on bringing pets into the country.
▪ Local residents are protesting against plans to relax laws controlling pub opening hours.
7. to become less strict
▷ relent /rɪˈlent/ [intransitive verb]
to change your mind and decide to be less strict about something :
▪ Marjorie finally relented and agreed to meet him.
▪ Prison officials relented and allowed Wilson to receive visits from his family.
▪ He begged and begged to be allowed to go to the game, and in the end I relented.
▷ soften /ˈsɒf ə nǁˈsɔː-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to become less strict and more sympathetic towards someone :
▪ The inspector looked angry but then softened when he saw the boy’s frightened expression.
▪ The government seems to have softened its attitude towards single parents.
▷ mellow /ˈmeləʊ/ [intransitive verb]
to change your attitude and become less strict, especially over a long period of time :
▪ She’s mellowed a lot since she retired.
mellow with age/time
▪ He hasn’t always been so understanding. He’s really mellowed with age.
▷ go easy on /ˌgəʊ ˈiːzi ɒn/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
to treat someone less strictly than usual, especially because they have special problems or difficulties :
▪ Go easy on her. She’s had a very difficult time since her parents died.
▪ I think you should go easy on Jim.
▷ ease up on /ˌiːz ˈʌp ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to stop treating someone so strictly, especially because they do not deserve it or because they are affected badly by it :
▪ I’ve decided we need to ease up on Sally and take the pressure off her for a while.
▷ let up on /ˌlet ˈʌp ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to treat someone less strictly, especially temporarily after a period of strict treatment :
▪ If you let up on him he’ll have a chance to show that he can behave himself.
▪ She never lets up on those poor kids!
8. people/attitudes that are not strict
▷ lenient /ˈliːniənt/ [adjective]
not strict in the way that you punish people or control their behaviour :
▪ The younger teachers generally had a more lenient attitude towards their students.
lenient with
▪ Some police officers have criticized judges for being too lenient with car thieves and burglars.
leniently [adverb]
▪ The courts will often deal quite leniently with first-time offenders.
leniency [uncountable noun]
when someone is not strict: :
▪ This report shows that wealthy people are treated with more leniency when they break the law.
▷ easy-going /ˌiːzi ˈgəʊɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
someone who is easy-going does not care about being strict, and is usually calm and relaxed :
▪ Our parents are pretty easy-going, and they don’t mind if we stay out late.
▷ soft /sɒftǁsɔːft/ [adjective]
someone who is soft seems weak because they are not strict enough with other people :
▪ He doesn’t have the right personality to be an army officer, he’s too soft.
soft on
▪ They accused the government of being too soft on crime.
▷ tolerant /ˈtɒlərəntǁˈtɑː-/ [adjective]
allowing people to do, say, or believe what they like without fear of being punished or criticized :
▪ I’ve tried to adopt a fairly tolerant attitude towards his behaviour.
tolerant of
▪ She’s not very tolerant of other people’s failings.
tolerant towards
▪ You should try to be more tolerant towards other people.
▷ tolerance /ˈtɒlərənsǁˈtɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
behaviour or an attitude that allows people to do, say, or believe what they like without fear of being punished or criticized :
▪ Tolerance was not a quality you associated with my parents.
tolerance of
▪ The government is beginning to show more tolerance of opposition groups.
tolerance towards
▪ The school encourages an attitude of tolerance towards all people.
▷ liberal /ˈlɪb ə rəl/ [adjective]
willing to understand and respect other people’s ideas, opinions, and behaviour, even if you do not approve of them :
▪ I was fortunate enough to have very liberal parents.
▪ He has quite liberal views for someone of his generation.
▷ broad-minded /ˌbrɔːd ˈmaɪndə̇d/ [adjective]
willing to accept and respect other people’s beliefs or behaviour although they many be very different from your own :
▪ My mother’s quite broad-minded. She understands my decision to bring up my baby on my own.
▷ permissive /pəʳˈmɪsɪv/ [adjective]
a permissive society or person allows behaviour, especially sexual behaviour, that many other people disapprove of :
▪ In the permissive society of the 1960s anything was possible.
▪ It’s not always true that young people have a more permissive attitude towards sex.
permissiveness [uncountable noun]
▪ Some parents are worried that their children might be corrupted by western permissiveness.
▷ lax /læks/ [adjective]
not strict enough, especially through laziness or carelessness :
▪ The report criticizes the lax security at many prisons.
lax about
▪ I think the school has been too lax about bad behaviour in the past.
laxity [uncountable noun] formal :
▪ She accused Henry of moral laxity.
▷ over-indulgent /ˌəʊvər ɪnˈdʌldʒ ə nt◂/ [adjective]
allowing someone, especially a child, to behave in whatever way they want because you love them :
▪ Parents can easily fall into the trap of being over-indulgent with their first child.
▪ She was brought up by a succession of over-indulgent relations.
9. criticism/punishment that is not strict
▷ light /laɪt/ [adjective]
▪ The sentence was surprisingly light for such a serious offence.
▪ Some ministers are suggesting that there should be much lighter penalties for first-time offenders.
▷ lenient /ˈliːniənt/ [adjective]
an official punishment that is lenient is not severe :
▪ The prosecution lawyer challenged the sentence as being unduly lenient.
▪ He was given a comparatively lenient fine.
▷ mild /maɪld/ [adjective]
criticism or a punishment that is mild is not strict, especially in a way that is surprising :
▪ Many drug dealers are prepared to take the risk because they know that if they are caught the punishment will be mild.
▪ Her proposals were welcomed by most people, with only mild criticism from a few of her opponents.