Sentence examples for stern but from inspiring English sources

"I'm stern, but playful in my sternness".

She is sometimes stern but never shy.

She was stern but exciting.

The bearded Pakistanis deliver a stern but polite message.

Stern but motherly, she is India's most powerful figure.

Mr. Brown pretty much plays his stern but affectionate self.

She is fierce and stern, but subtle, too.

His players and his coaching colleagues describe him as stern but sensitive, firm but forgiving.

Flanking one doorway are two rabbits; one is stern, but the other is just plain malevolent.

He looked particularly stern, but as he walked toward the kitchen he began to smile.

Duff favours me with the stern-but-ironic look she's given many a klutzy male during her acting career.