sternly

[ sturn-lee ]

adverb

1. in a firm, strict, or austere way:

   Unless the government sternly cracks down on the underground economy, citizens will never pay their taxes diligently.

2. in a harsh, severe, or grim way:

   Any baker caught mixing sawdust with bread or butcher selling horse meat as beef was immediately and sternly punished.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sternly¹

First recorded before 1000; stern ¹( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

The South Korean government has told the BBC it would “sternly respond to the violation of the UN Security Council resolutions by Russia and North Korea”.

From BBC

Peering over her glasses, the French judge glanced sternly across the cavernous underground courtroom towards a notorious figure seated in a glass cage.

From BBC

He took me aside and said sternly, “You can’t pussyfoot it.”

From Salon

It did not send any athletes to the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, after the country shut itself off from the world even more sternly than usual due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC

They secretly downloaded TikTok for a few weeks before getting caught and sternly lectured.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• acutely
• badly
• critically
• dangerously
• extremely
• firmly
• markedly
• painfully
• seriously
• sharply
• sorely
• strictly