serious and often showing that you do not approve of somebody/something; expecting somebody to obey you 严厉的；苛刻的；要求别人服从的 a stern face/expression/look 严厉的面容／表情／目光 a stern warning 严厉的警告 Her voice was stern. 她声调严厉。 The police are planning sterner measures to combat crime. 警方正制订更严厉的措施打击犯罪活动。
Extra ExamplesHe quickly became notorious for his stern management. 他很快因管理严厉而臭名昭著。 Her mother appeared, looking very stern. 她母亲露面了，看上去非常严厉。 His voice was suddenly stern. 他的声音突然严厉起来。 She always seemed to have the same stern expression on her face. 她脸上似乎总是带着同样严厉的表情。 There was a hint of a smile on his usually rather stern face. 他通常相当严肃的脸上有一丝微笑。
serious and difficult 严峻的；难对付的
Word Originadjective Old English styrne, probably from the West Germanic base of the verb stare.
Idioms
be made of sterner stuff
to have a stronger character and to be more determined in dealing with problems than other people 性格十分坚强；有很大的毅力 Many would have given up, but Tim was made of sterner stuff. 许多人会放弃，但蒂姆是由更严厉的东西组成的。
