sternness

Lady Kirton's last words halted, for his look startled even her in its resolute sternness.

His mind with all its sternness ever tended to clemency, and his constitutional prudence, or measure, forbade purposeless excess.

Hardworking and upright, being reared in sternness and poverty.

Calvin gave birth, by the sternness of his doctrines and his executions, to that form of hypocritical sentiment called "cant."

"Getting rattled is a highly unmilitary form of conduct," retorted Prescott, with a look of mock sternness.