Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun stern

3 senses of stern

Sense 1
stern, after part, quarter, poop, tail -- (the rear part of a ship)
       => rear, back -- (the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph")

Sense 2
Stern, Isaac Stern -- (United States concert violinist (born in Russia in 1920))
       INSTANCE OF=> violinist, fiddler -- (a musician who plays the violin)

Sense 3
buttocks, nates, arse, butt, backside, bum, buns, can, fundament, hindquarters, hind end, keister, posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, stern, seat, tail, tail end, tooshie, tush, bottom, behind, derriere, fanny, ass -- (the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on; "he deserves a good kick in the butt"; "are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?")
       => body part -- (any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity)

Antonyms of adj stern

4 senses of stern

Sense 1
austere, stern -- (of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect; "an austere expression"; "a stern face")

INDIRECT (VIA nonindulgent) -> indulgent -- (characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone ; "indulgent grandparents")

Sense 2
grim, inexorable, relentless, stern, unappeasable, unforgiving, unrelenting -- (not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty; "grim determination"; "grim necessity"; "Russia's final hour, it seemed, approached with inexorable certainty"; "relentless persecution"; "the stern demands of parenthood")

INDIRECT (VIA implacable) -> placable -- (easily calmed or pacified)

Sense 3
stern, strict, exacting -- (severe and unremitting in making demands; "an exacting instructor"; "a stern disciplinarian"; "strict standards")

INDIRECT (VIA demanding) -> undemanding -- (requiring little if any patience or effort or skill; "the pay was adequate and the job undemanding"; "simple undemanding affection"; "an undemanding boss")

Sense 4
austere, severe, stark, stern -- (severely simple; "a stark interior")

INDIRECT (VIA plain) -> fancy -- (not plain; decorative or ornamented; "fancy handwriting"; "fancy clothes")

Similarity of adj stern

4 senses of stern

Sense 1
austere, stern -- (of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect; "an austere expression"; "a stern face")
       => nonindulgent (vs. indulgent), strict -- (characterized by strictness, severity, or restraint)

Sense 2
grim, inexorable, relentless, stern, unappeasable, unforgiving, unrelenting -- (not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty; "grim determination"; "grim necessity"; "Russia's final hour, it seemed, approached with inexorable certainty"; "relentless persecution"; "the stern demands of parenthood")
       => implacable (vs. placable) -- (incapable of being placated; "an implacable enemy")

Sense 3
stern, strict, exacting -- (severe and unremitting in making demands; "an exacting instructor"; "a stern disciplinarian"; "strict standards")
       => demanding (vs. undemanding) -- (requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill; "found the job very demanding"; "a baby can be so demanding")

Sense 4
austere, severe, stark, stern -- (severely simple; "a stark interior")
       => plain (vs. fancy) -- (not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building")