sternly C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈstɜrnli/ UK /ˈstɜːnli/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adv in a serious, severe, or strict manner The teacher spoke sternly to the chattering pupils. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adv · in a serious, severe, or... severelyharshlystrictlygravelyfirmlygrimlyausterely ↔ Opposites gentlymildlylenientlykindlysoftly Word family Related forms sternsternness Etymology AI details From 'stern' (Old English 'styrne', severe, strict) plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. styrne Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # sternly **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adv **IPA (US):** /ˈstɜrnli/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈstɜːnli/ ## Meanings 1. in a serious, severe, or strict manner ## Examples - The teacher spoke sternly to the chattering pupils. ## Synonyms - severely - harshly - strictly - gravely - firmly - grimly - austerely ## Antonyms - gently - mildly - leniently - kindly - softly ## Related Forms - stern - sternness ## Roots and Affixes - Root: styrne ## Etymology From 'stern' (Old English 'styrne', severe, strict) plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. ## AI Etymology Sternly is from 'stern' (Old English 'styrne', severe, strict) plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. Important recorded forms include styrne (Old English). Morphologically, the -ly ending turns the base adjective or participial form into an adverbial manner word, or preserves an older adjectival pattern where the part of speech allows it. The modern sense is largely compositional, with the historical elements narrowing into a stable English lexical item. In current use it covers in a serious, severe, or strict manner. The wider family includes related words such as stern and sternness. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown