1. Severe and unremitting in making demands
   "a stern disciplinarian";
   - strict, exacting
    
2. Not to be placated, appeased or moved by entreaty
   "the stern demands of parenthood";
   - grim, inexorable, relentless, unappeasable, unforgiving, unrelenting
    
3. Of a stern or strict bearing or demeanour; forbidding in aspect
   "a stern face";
   - austere
    
4. Very plain, appearing grim and minimally functional
   "a stern interior";
   - austere, severe, stark

1. The rear part of a ship
   "The passengers gathered on the stern of the cruise ship to watch the sunset";
   - after part, quarter, poop, tail
    
2. [informal] The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
   "he deserves a good kick in the stern";
   - buttocks, nates [informal, technical], butt [N. Amer, informal], backside [informal], bum [Brit, informal], buns [N. Amer, informal], can [N. Amer, informal], fundament [informal], hindquarters [informal], hind end [informal], posterior [informal], rear [informal], rear end [informal], rump [informal], seat [informal], tail [N. Amer, informal], tail end [informal], tooshie [informal], tush [N. Amer, informal], bottom [informal], behind [informal], derriere [informal], patootie [US, informal], botty [informal], duff [N. Amer, informal], bahookie [UK, dialect, informal], booty [N. Amer, informal], heinie [US, informal], tushy [N. Amer, informal], derrière [informal]

1. United States concert violinist (born in Russia in 1920, died in New York City 2001)
   - Isaac Stern

Derived forms: sterner, sterns, sternest

See also: demanding, exacting, implacable, nonindulgent, plain, strict

Type of: back, body part, fiddler, rear, violinist

Part of: body, ship, torso, trunk

Encyclopedia: Stern, Maria