Added 9 October 2026
stern
/stɜːn/ noun
In Latin: tētricus, firmātus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about stern at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
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Of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect.
an austere expression
-
Not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty.
grim determination
-
Severe and unremitting in making demands.
an exacting instructor
Origin
From Middle English stern, sterne, sturne, from Old English styrne (“stern, grave, strict, austere, hard, severe, cruel”), from Proto-Germanic *sturnijaz (“angry, astonished, shocked”), from Proto-Indo-European *ster- (“rigid, stiff”). Cognate with Scots stern (“bold, courageous, fierce, resolute”), Old High German stornēn (“to be astonished”), Dutch stuurs (“glum, austere”), Swedish stursk (“insolent”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)