stern
stern Lexical Profile
stern Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and the exercise of discipline.
"The judge issued a stern warning to the defense attorney for interrupting the witness."
Grim, unsmiling, or forbidding in facial expression, demeanor, or appearance.
"Beneath her stern demeanor, the headmistress cared deeply about every student's welfare."
• noun
The rearmost part of a ship or boat, opposite the bow.
"The passengers gathered at the stern of the ferry to watch the harbor fade into the distance."
• Rhymes for stern
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The adjective derives from Old English styrne ('severe, strict'), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'stiff'. The nautical noun represents an unrelated borrowing from Old Norse stjórn ('steering'), referring to the rear of a vessel where the steering oar was mounted.