Synonyms of sternly

sternly

adverb

as in harshly

in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering

sternly reprimanded the prosecuting attorney for making comments that never should have been heard by the jury

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harshly
• severely
• oppressively
• brutally
• hard
• stiffly
• ill
• roughly
• grimly
• strongly
• aggressively
• firmly
• ruthlessly
• abusively
• pitilessly
• obdurately
• hardly
• unfeelingly
• mercilessly
• unsparingly
• heartlessly
• callously
• unmercifully
• tyrannically
• insensitively
• resolutely
• uncharitably
• savagely
• viciously
• inhumanly
• determinedly
• gruffly
• inhumanely
• assertively
• brutishly
• toughly
• cold-bloodedly
• insensately
• decidedly
• hard-heartedly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gently
• softly
• lightly
• mildly
• leniently
• kindly
• tenderly
• lovingly
• cordially
• graciously
• considerately
• benevolently
• sympathetically
• understandingly
• compassionately
• tolerantly
• clemently
• benignantly
• mercifully
• humanely
• charitably
• softheartedly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sternly

Colombia manager Hernan Dario Gomez had sternly instructed Sanchez to play clean and to avoid a potential red card. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 7 July 2026

That church, by the way, is of the sternly Evangelical variety, and the Gheorghius take it very seriously indeed. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 May 2026

Did DeSantis call Uthmeier on the carpet and sternly instruct him to follow the law? — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026

After sternly addressing the company executives who put the city through a year-long court battle, the Leavenworth Planning Commission on Monday evening voted 5-1 to recommend granting CoreCivic’s zoning application to operate for at least three years. — Matthew Kelly february 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026

The lawsuit comes days after Austin voters sternly rejected a 20% property tax increase as the city struggles to overcome a budget deficit. — Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 6 Nov. 2025

This folly—which Iran has sternly warned against—is immoral, unjustified, and unlawful. — Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

Sulmona gave the Catholic world a pope, Innocent VII in the 15th century, but Piazza XX Settembre is the location of Sulmona’s foremost historical figure, the greatest of all Roman poets, Ovid, whose bronze statue stands sternly atop a pedestal. — John Mariani, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025