| Stern 1. (n.) The black tern. 2. (superl.) Having a certain hardness or severity of nature, manner, or aspect; hard; severe; rigid; rigorous; austere; fixed; unchanging; unrelenting; hence, serious; resolute; harsh; as, a stern resolve; a stern necessity; a stern heart; a stern gaze; a stern decree. 3. (n.) The helm or tiller of a vessel or boat; also, the rudder. 4. (n.) The after or rear end of a ship or other vessel, or of a boat; the part opposite to the stem, or prow. 5. (v. t.) Fig.: The post of management or direction. 6. (n.) The hinder part of anything. 7. (n.) The tail of an animal; -- now used only of the tail of a dog. 8. (a.) Being in the stern, or being astern; as, the stern davits. Thesaurus Entries Spartan, Spartanic, adamant, adamantine, afterpart, afterpiece, arse, ascetic, ass, astringent, austere, authoritarian, back, back door, back seat, back side, backside, beam, behind, bottom, breech, bum, butt, can, cast-iron, cheeks, churlish, counter, crabbed, crabby, critical, crusty, demanding, derriere, determined, dour, exacting, exigent, fanny, fantail, firm, flinty, forbidding, frowning, gloomy, grave, grim, gruff, hard, hard-core, harsh, heel, hind end, hind part, hindhead, immovable, immutable, implacable, impliable, inclement, inelastic, inexorable, inflexible, intransigent, iron, irreconcilable, keister, lugubrious, meticulous, mortified, obdurate, occiput, poop, posterior, postern, prat, rear, rear end, rearward, relentless, resolute, reverse, rigid, rigorous, rock-ribbed, rough, rudderpost, rugged, rump, rusty-dusty, saturnine, serious, severe, sour, steadfast, steely, stiff, stony, strict, stringent, taciturn, tail, tail end, tailpiece, tough, tuchis, tush, tushy, unaffected, unalterable, unbending, unchangeable, uncompromising, unforgiving, ungentle, ungiving, unmoved, unrelenting, unremitting, unsparing, unsympathetic, unyielding |