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stern person

[/stɜːrn ˈpɜːrsən/]
nounpl: stern people
pessoa severa
1. An individual who is serious, strict, and uncompromising in manner or attitude; someone who shows little warmth or humor
The stern person did not tolerate any mistakes in the workplace.
A pessoa severa não tolerava erros no ambiente de trabalho.
2. A person with a harsh or forbidding appearance or demeanor
The stern person's expression intimidated most of the students.
A expressão severa da pessoa intimidava a maioria dos alunos.
NYC Slang
hardass
Synonyms
strict personaustere personno-nonsense personrigid person
Antonyms
lenient personeasygoing personwarm personaffable person

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
pessoa severa
Most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
pessoa durona
Colloquial, informal variation
São Paulo
pessoa rígida
More formal business context
Portugal
pessoa austera
More literary and formal usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

tough as nails
no-nonsense attitude
iron-fisted person
hard taskmaster
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