Words / C1

STURN/stɜːn/

Stern means serious and strict, often showing disapproval: a stern warning, a stern look. Strict is everyday; severe (already in this course as severity) is harsher; lenient sits opposite. The stern of a ship is the back — a lookalike noun. Do not mistake a stern footnote for a completed n.

Meaning

Serious and strict, often showing disapproval.

Examples

• “A stern footnote is still not a completed n cell.”
• “Strict is everyday. Severe is stronger. A telling-off is informal. Austere (already in the dictionary) is bleak or morally spare. The back of a boat is the stern. Disapproval in eight-point type is not a sample size.”

Good to know

Strict and severe in manner. Everyday: strict. Mix-up: the stern of a ship. A warning tone ≠ a filled n.

Near in meaning

strict

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