sternly
adverb/ˈstɜːnli/
/ˈstɜːrnli/
- in a serious way that often shows that you do not approve of somebody/something; in a way that shows you expect somebody to obey you
- ‘This’, she said sternly, ‘is what we believe.’
- a sternly worded letter
Oxford Collocations DictionarySternly is used with these verbs:- reply
- reprimand
- say
- …
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- in a serious and difficult way
- They were sternly tested by the opposing team.
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sternly