as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
the company's new president has a reputation for granitelike sternness and monkish austerity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sternness
severity
Noun
-
Charlie and Pim are loyal employees of Smiling Friends, a mysterious business that exists solely to assist people with their problems, regardless of their severity.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Oct. 2025 -
Prosecutors have recommended an 11-year sentence, citing Combs’s lack of remorse and the severity of harm inflicted.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sternness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sternness. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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