STERN


Meaning of STERN in English

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]

• • •

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

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.