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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

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