<p><strong>Adjective:</strong></p><ul><li>stern·er</li><li>stern·est</li><li>firm, strict, or uncompromising: stern discipline.</li><li>hard, harsh, or severe: a stern reprimand.</li><li>rigorous or austere; of an unpleasantly serious character: stern times.</li><li>grim or forbidding in aspect: a stern face.</li></ul><p><strong>Synonyms:</strong></p><ul><li>unsympathetic</li><li>unfeeling</li><li>cruel</li><li>unrelenting</li><li>adamant</li></ul><p><strong>Antonyms:</strong></p><ul><li>lenient</li></ul>