1
: the rear end of a boat
2
: a hinder or rear part : the last or latter part
Synonyms
Examples of stern in a Sentence
Adjective
He gave me a stern look.
the army post's stern commander always had the utmost respect of those who served under him
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024
The witness, David Pecker, who has known the former president for decades, faced a stern cross-examination from Mr. Trump’s defense lawyer, Emil Bove.
—Jonah E. Bromwich, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Again, there is sure to be stern opposition to the ruling from existing companies who do not want their employees to leave and either join or start rival firms.
—Matt Marx, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Because her estranged father, Davis (Brandon Victor Dixon), is a professional musician, Ali only begrudgingly learns to play the piano from her stern neighbor, Miss Lisa Jane (Kecia Lewis).
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2024
But in recent weeks his patience with Mr. Netanyahu has appeared to be waning and his administration has taken a more stern line with Israel, deepening its international isolation over the war.
—Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Two days later my apartment in Istanbul was ransacked in a way that seemed like a stern message.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
The drastic escalation of tensions has drawn stern responses from other countries in Asia.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
His stern court scenes are staged with simple effectiveness on Hildegard Bechtler’s cunning, multiple, brick-wall sets which are flown in and out to create different worlds.
—David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024
During the most recent campaign, divers removed 34 ancient pottery vessels from the stern of the ship and found some unique markings underneath, the museum wrote in an April 11 post on X, formerly Twitter.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Further toward the stern, a huge swim platform pulls triple duty as a beach club, a launchpad for watersports, and a dive store.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
After two hours, the ship’s stern slipped below the surface and sank.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
In 2016, the Dali struck a loading pier made of stone while leaving port in Antwerp, causing damage to the ship’s stern, according to VesselFinder.com, a site that tracks ships across the world.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Satellite imagery seems to reveal scorch marks on her stern.
—David Axe, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The ship is also intimate enough that everybody can gather easily for meals — or a swim off the stern — without fighting the crowds common on larger vessels.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
Steps away is the 18.7-foot-long resistance pool on the foredeck, along with a Jacuzzi at the stern.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Further toward the stern lie a circular swimming pool and a garage that can hold two 30-foot tenders, a couple of Jet Skis, and a rescue boat.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024
The witness, David Pecker, who has known the former president for decades, faced a stern cross-examination from Mr. Trump’s defense lawyer, Emil Bove.
—Jonah E. Bromwich, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Again, there is sure to be stern opposition to the ruling from existing companies who do not want their employees to leave and either join or start rival firms.
—Matt Marx, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Because her estranged father, Davis (Brandon Victor Dixon), is a professional musician, Ali only begrudgingly learns to play the piano from her stern neighbor, Miss Lisa Jane (Kecia Lewis).
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2024
But in recent weeks his patience with Mr. Netanyahu has appeared to be waning and his administration has taken a more stern line with Israel, deepening its international isolation over the war.
—Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Two days later my apartment in Istanbul was ransacked in a way that seemed like a stern message.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
The drastic escalation of tensions has drawn stern responses from other countries in Asia.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
His stern court scenes are staged with simple effectiveness on Hildegard Bechtler’s cunning, multiple, brick-wall sets which are flown in and out to create different worlds.
—David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
The exterior decks are nothing to sneeze at, either, with a Jacuzzi on the sundeck, a beach club at the stern that spans the full beam, and a plush lounge in the foredeck.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024
During the most recent campaign, divers removed 34 ancient pottery vessels from the stern of the ship and found some unique markings underneath, the museum wrote in an April 11 post on X, formerly Twitter.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Further toward the stern, a huge swim platform pulls triple duty as a beach club, a launchpad for watersports, and a dive store.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
After two hours, the ship’s stern slipped below the surface and sank.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
In 2016, the Dali struck a loading pier made of stone while leaving port in Antwerp, causing damage to the ship’s stern, according to VesselFinder.com, a site that tracks ships across the world.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Satellite imagery seems to reveal scorch marks on her stern.
—David Axe, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The ship is also intimate enough that everybody can gather easily for meals — or a swim off the stern — without fighting the crowds common on larger vessels.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
Steps away is the 18.7-foot-long resistance pool on the foredeck, along with a Jacuzzi at the stern.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stern.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stern
Cite this Entry
“Stern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stern. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stern
1 of 2 adjective1
a
: hard and severe in nature or manner
a stern judge
b
: expressing severe displeasure : harsh
a stern look
2
: not inviting or attractive : forbidding, grim
sternly
adverb
stern
2 of 2 noun1
: the rear end of a boat
2
: a rear part
Biographical Definition
Stern
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Otto 1888–1969 American (German-born) physicist
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