stern
3
5.1
- adjective
- /stɜrn/
:
austero
- Despite his stern demeanor, many people respected him for his fairness and dedication to his work.
No, no, packed in stern plastic and shove it in.
- No, no, packed in stern plastic and shove it in.
Examples
-
We pull into the driveway in front of the house, a stern gray split-level.
Fiction book (2001) -
"I love to laugh, and people don't think that because most of the time my face is stern.
Blog text (29) -
Her physical appearance was stern, and she always wore work clothes or plain cotton dark dresses.
Fiction book (1990) -
Golda's stern, worried face cracked into a brief smile.
Fiction book (1993) -
The experiment resulted in a soft-lipped, surprisingly handsome man and a stern but pretty woman.
Blog text (19) -
It's a beautiful, stern old Romanesque span across the Harlem River with rolling banks of leafy trees on the far side.
Fiction book (2002) -
So Helen Du Pray had transformed a seductive beauty into the stern handsomeness of Joan of Arc.
Fiction book (1990) -
I stand at the bottom, staring up into the stern, benevolent gaze of Old Chapel, shining white emblem of the college.
Fiction book (1998) -
The secretary was a stern woman of forty with blue-black hair, black silk clothes, and turquoise beads as big as Brussels sprouts.
Fiction book (2002) -
The teacher had a stern expression as she walked into the classroom, reminding the students of the importance of discipline.
Synonyms
22
4.8
Very plain and empty with no decoration
8
7.2
Having a simple style with no extra decoration
Plain and simple, not expensive or decorated
Antonyms
- Literature
26
7.0
Using long, fancy words and complicated sentences that make writing hard to follow
Idioms
Compounds
5
3.4
A firm, serious statement that tells someone to stop wrong or dangerous behavior
How Severe
Surface Forms
Etymology
Stern meaning plain and severe shares the same old root styrne ('severe'), so a stern room or building feels simple and strict with little decoration. This shows why stern can describe a harsh, plain appearance.