adjective

stern

STERN/stɜːrn/

Strict and serious in manner or judgment.

The stern supervisor refuses the colleague's appeal with an unsmiling expression.

An older supervisor maintains a firm, unsmiling expression and a restrained palm-out refusal while a younger colleague makes a gentle appeal across a nearly bare desk.

Etymology

sternOld Englishsevere, strict, inflexible

Old English stirne combined severity with inflexibility. That pairing remains central to the modern meaning: a stern person or manner is not merely serious but resistant to softening.

In context

Beyond the Headlines 01:31

His father, Ludwig, is a silhouette of stern German-Russian discipline, a man who views silence as a virtue

What They Found In Lawrence Welk's Personal Archive Has Researchers SHOCKED!

More examples

The judge issues a stern warning about arriving late.
Her voice grows sterner when nobody follows the instructions.
Despite his stern manner, our coach listens to our concerns.

Forms

stern · sterner · sternest

sternly adverb — In a strict and serious manner.

sternness noun — The quality of being strict and serious.

Similar words

strict: Emphasizes enforcing rules rather than a serious outward manner.
severe: Often suggests greater harshness in manner, judgment, or punishment.
grave: Emphasizes solemn seriousness without necessarily suggesting strictness or disapproval.