Synonyms for stern
stɜrnstern

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. stern2

   Antonyms:
   bow

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. stern

   That is severe which is devoid of all softness, mildness, tenderness, indulgence or levity, or (in literature and art) devoid of unnecessary ornament, amplification, or embellishment of any kind; as, a severe style; as said of anything painful, severe signifies such as heavily taxes endurance or resisting power; as, a severe pain, fever, or winter. Rigid signifies primarily stiff, resisting any effort to change its shape; a corpse is said to be rigid in death; hence, in metaphorical sense, a rigid person or character is one that resists all efforts to change the will or course of conduct; a rigid rule or statement is one that admits of no deviation. Rigorous is nearly akin to rigid, but is a stronger word, having reference to action or active qualities, as rigid does to state or character; a rigid rule may be rigorously enforced. Strict (Latin stringo, bind) signifies bound or stretched tight, tense, strenuously exact. Stern unites harshness and authority with strictness or severity; stern, as said even of inanimate objects, suggests something authoritative or forbidding. Austere signifies severely simple or temperate, strict in self-restraint or discipline, and similarly unrelenting toward others. We speak of austere morality, rigid rules, rigorous discipline, stern commands, severe punishment, harsh speech or a harsh voice, hard requirements, strict injunctions, and strict obedience. Strict discipline holds one exactly and unflinchingly to the rule; rigorous discipline punishes severely any infraction of it. The austere character is seldom lovely, but it is always strong and may be grand, commanding, and estimable.

   Synonyms:
   austere, hard, harsh, inexorable, inflexible, morose, relentless, rigid, rigorous, severe, stiff, strict, uncompromising, unmitigated, unrelenting, unyielding

   Antonyms:
   affable, bland, easy, genial, gentle, indulgent, lenient, mild, pliable, soft, sweet, tender, tractable, yielding

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. stern

   Synonyms:
   severe, austere, rigid, harsh, strict, rigorous, unrelenting, unyielding, forbidding

   Antonyms:
   lenient, genial, kindly, easy, flexible, encouraging

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.3 / 3 votes

1. stern, after part, quarter, poop, tailnoun

   the rear part of a ship

   Synonyms:
   fourth, fag end, tail, seat, nincompoop, butt, shite, quarter, shadower, can, nates, quartern, crap, shadow, fundament, low-down, posterior, buttocks, behind, shit, ninny, bottom, twenty-five percent, backside, bum, empennage, fourth part, tail assembly, buns, the skinny, hindquarters, tail end, derriere, tooshie, one-quarter, turd, dirt, hind end, rump, keister, ass, prat, arse, fanny, rear, tush, after part, poop, one-fourth, dope, rear end

   Antonyms:
   placable, fancy, indulgent, undemanding

2. Stern, Isaac Sternnoun

   United States concert violinist (born in Russia in 1920)

   Synonyms:
   rear end, after part, tooshie, quarter, tush, derriere, fanny, bottom, backside, buttocks, hind end, rump, tail, bum, prat, rear, can, behind, butt, hindquarters, ass, arse, posterior, buns, fundament, nates, seat, tail end, keister, poop

   Antonyms:
   placable, fancy, indulgent, undemanding

3. buttocks, nates, arse, butt, backside, bum, buns, can, fundament, hindquarters, hind end, keister, posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, stern, seat, tail, tail end, tooshie, tush, bottom, behind, derriere, fanny, assadjective

   the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

   "he deserves a good kick in the butt"; "are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?"

   Synonyms:
   screw, arse, keister, female genital organ, substructure, stinkpot, goat, cornerstone, lavatory, git, croup, arsehole, butt, shadower, crapper, commode, throne, skunk, base, tooshie, foundation, butt end, lav, derriere, can buoy, shag, place, seat, prat, bottomland, hind end, behind, tin can, scum bag, asshole, freighter, understructure, ass, stub, backside, after part, female genitals, tramp, female genitalia, idler, nookie, toilet, piece of tail, laughingstock, shtup, poop, foot, screwing, posterior, potty, bathroom, quarter, do-nothing, back end, dirty dog, tush, tail, merchantman, canful, can, croupe, butt joint, john, back tooth, bunghole, nates, rat, rump, nooky, pot, back, privy, underside, piece of ass, rear end, rear, layabout, bottom, buns, merchant ship, undersurface, tail assembly, hobo, loafer, fundament, stool, roll in the hay, empennage, rotter, so-and-so, stooge, target, stinker, buttocks, bottom of the inning, hindquarters, bum, cigaret, coffin nail, tin, crumb, groundwork, shadow, fag end, cigarette, bed, basis, tail end, fanny, lowlife, puke

   Antonyms:
   placable, undemanding, indulgent, fancy

4. austere, sternadjective

   of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

   "an austere expression"; "a stern face"

   Synonyms:
   exacting, stark, spartan, severe, unrelenting, strict, inexorable, austere, ascetical, unappeasable, relentless, ascetic, grim, unforgiving

   Antonyms:
   undemanding, fancy, indulgent, placable

5. grim, inexorable, relentless, stern, unappeasable, unforgiving, unrelentingadjective

   not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty

   "grim determination"; "grim necessity"; "Russia's final hour, it seemed, approached with inexorable certainty"; "relentless persecution"; "the stern demands of parenthood"

   Synonyms:
   down(p), dispirited, downcast, intransigent, brutal, exacting, severe, forbidding, persistent, austere, dismal, dark, sick, disconsolate, black, grisly, low, unrelenting, down in the mouth, blue, unappeasable, gruesome, macabre, downhearted, grim, mordant, stark, dour, adamantine, strict, relentless, unforgiving, sorry, gloomy, drab, ghastly, depressed, dingy, inexorable, dreary, drear, low-spirited, adamant

   Antonyms:
   indulgent, undemanding, placable, fancy

6. stern, strict, exactingadjective

   severe and unremitting in making demands

   "an exacting instructor"; "a stern disciplinarian"; "strict standards"

   Synonyms:
   severe, hard-and-fast, stark, relentless, grim, exigent, strict, inexorable, unrelenting, unappeasable, nonindulgent, exacting, unforgiving, austere, fastidious, rigorous, rigid

   Antonyms:
   undemanding, placable, indulgent, fancy

7. austere, severe, stark, sternadjective

   severely simple

   "a stark interior"

   Synonyms:
   life-threatening, perfect(a), consummate(a), unadulterated, double-dyed(a), austere, serious, ascetic, bare, arrant(a), stark, severe, desolate, staring(a), unrelenting, grievous, sodding(a), unappeasable, grave, everlasting(a), crude(a), dangerous, wicked, complete(a), hard, gross(a), terrible, stark(a), pure(a), relentless, barren, unforgiving, blunt, grim, bleak, inexorable, exacting, thoroughgoing(a), strict, ascetical, utter(a), spartan, knockout

   Antonyms:
   indulgent, placable, fancy, undemanding

Matched Categories

1. • Rear
   • Violinist

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. strictadjective

   being able to give discipline with no regret

   mrs.bianca is a very stern, but nice teacher.

   Submitted by anonymous on August 11, 2022  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sternadjective

   Synonyms:
   forbidding, austere, severe, rigid

2. sternadjective

   Synonyms:
   harsh, cruel, bitter, rigorous, strict, hard, unrelenting, inflexible, uncompromising

3. sternnoun

   Synonyms:
   hinder part (of a vessel)

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sternadjective

   Synonyms:
   austere, rigorous, exacting, strict, hard-hearted

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "stern":

   pupa, sterna, transom, aft, severe, strict, rear, solemn, stringent, grim

How to pronounce stern?

How to say stern in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use stern in a sentence?

1. Maithripala Sirisena:

   I will completely restructure the police and security forces in the coming weeks. I expect to change the heads of defense establishments within the next 24 hours, the security officials who got the intelligence report from a foreign nation did not share it with me. I have decided to take stern action against these officials.

2. Doto Biteko:

   It's good for them that they have already started to take measures to address this issue. But we will visit the mine again on March 30 to make sure that all the environment concerns have been fully resolved, otherwise we will take stern measures against them.

3. Howard Stern:

   A more self-serving person would have gone all in on Donald Trump, i'd probably be Howard Stern or a Supreme Court justice by now.

4. The Lexington:

   We are proud of the student who came forward to report the threat, this situation is another example of how we must work together to keep each other safe. We take threats seriously and take swift and stern action against those making threats against our schools.

5. Global Times:

   This was widely seen as a stern warning to the violent elements in Hong Kong.