I. stern 1 /stɜːn $ stɜːrn/ BrE AmE 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]
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THESAURUS
▪ strict expecting people to obey rules or to do what you say – used especially about parents, teachers, or organizations:
Our teachers were very strict.
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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.
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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.
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She can be quite tough with her students, but they respect her for it.
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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.
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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.
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It may seem harsh to punish him, but he has to learn that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.
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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.
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an authoritarian government
II. stern 2 BrE AmE noun [countable usually singular]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Origin: Probably from Old Norse stjorn 'steering' ]
the back of a ship ⇨ bow