Knavish and Stern

Knavish

Knavish adjective - Tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness.
Usage example: a knavish bunch of urchins racing pell-mell through the marketplace

Stern is an antonym for knavish.

Nearby Words: knavery, knave

Stern

Stern adjective - Given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint.

Knavish is an antonym for stern.

Nearby Words: sternness, sternly, sterne
Cite this Source
Stern and Knavish. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/knavish/stern
Knavish & Stern. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/knavish/stern>.
Stern or Knavish. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/knavish/stern.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "knavish" and "stern" have occurred on timeline