as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
the company's new president has a reputation for granitelike sternness and monkish austerity
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for sternness
severity
Noun
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Emergency drain cleaning runs $400 to $1,000 or more, depending on severity.
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While most wildfires in the past burned slowly across the forest floor, providing benefits to the forest, high-severity fires roar into the tops of the trees, burning 1,000 degrees or hotter, with flames that can reach 200 feet tall.
Cite this Entry
“Sternness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sternness. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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