stern

stern

Pronunciation: ⁄stəːn⁄

adjective

·              (of a person or their manner) serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline:

a smile transformed his stern faceMama looked stern

·    (of an act or statement) strict and severe:

stern measures to restrict vehicle growth

·    (of competition or opposition) putting someone or something under extreme pressure:

the past year has been a stern test of the ability of British industry