stiff

¹stiff

adjective \ˈstif\

Definition of STIFF

1

a : not easily bent : rigid <a stiff collar>

b : lacking in suppleness or flexibility <stiff muscles>

c : impeded in movement —used of a mechanism <a truck's stiff suspension>

d : drunk 1a

2

a : firm, resolute

b : stubborn, unyielding

c : proud

d (1) : marked by reserve or decorum (2) : lacking in ease or grace : stilted

3

: hard fought <stiff competition>

4

a (1) : exerting great force <a stiff wind> (2) : forceful, vigorous

b : potent <poured her a stiff drink>

5

: of a dense or glutinous consistency : thick

6

a : harsh, severe <a stiff penalty>

b : arduous, rugged <stiff terrain>

7

: not easily heeled over by an external force (as the wind) <a stiff ship>

8

: expensive, steep <paid a stiff price>

— stiff·ish \ˈsti-fish\ adjective

— stiff·ly adverb

— stiff·ness noun

Examples of STIFF

1. When I got out of bed this morning my back was stiff as a board.
2. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff.

Origin of STIFF

Middle English stif, from Old English stīf; akin to Middle Dutch stijf stiff, Latin stipare to press together, Greek steibein to tread on

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to STIFF

Synonyms

inflexible, rigid, stiffened, unyielding

Antonyms

flexible, floppy, pliable, pliant, supple, yielding

Related Words

inelastic; firm, hard, solid, sound, strong; brittle, crisp; compact, dense, substantial; arthritic, rheumatic; nonelastic, nonmalleable

Near Antonyms

elastic, resilient, springy, stretchy, workable; malleable, plastic; semiflexible; droopy, flabby, flaccid, mushy, semisoft, soft, squashy, squishy; lank, limber, limp, lissome (also lissom), lithe, lithesome, willowy

Synonym Discussion of STIFF

stiff, rigid, inflexible mean difficult to bend. stiff may apply to any degree of this condition <stretching keeps your muscles from becoming stiff>. rigid applies to something so stiff that it cannot be bent without breaking <a rigid surfboard>. inflexible stresses lack of suppleness or pliability <ski boots with inflexible soles>.

Rhymes with STIFF

biff, cliff, diff, glyph, if, iff, jiff, miff, quiff, riff, skiff, sniff, spiff, spliff, syph, tiff, whiff

²stiff

adverb

Definition of STIFF

1

: in a stiff manner : stiffly

2

: to an extreme degree : severely <scared stiff> <bored stiff>

3

: close enough to the hole for an easy putt in golf <hit it stiff and tapped it in for an easy birdie>

First Known Use of STIFF

13th century

³stiff

noun

Definition of STIFF

1

: corpse

2

a : vagrant, tramp

b : a member of the working class; especially : a blue-collar worker

c : person <a lucky stiff>; especially : a stodgy or excessively decorous person

3

: flop, failure

Examples of STIFF

1. That poor stiff never gets a break.
2. They have the kind of luxuries the average working stiff can't afford.

First Known Use of STIFF

circa 1859

Related to STIFF

Synonyms

bones, cadaver, carcass, corpus, corse [archaic], relics, remains, corpse

Related Words

mummy; carnage, carrion; ashes; deceased, decedent

Near Antonyms

animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

⁴stiff

verb

Definition of STIFF

transitive verb

1

a : to refuse to pay or tip <stiffed the waiter>

b : cheat <stiffed him in a business deal>

c : stick 7a <stiffed us with the bar bill>

2

: snub 3 <stiffed sportswriters after the game>

intransitive verb

: to fail commercially <the movie stiffed at the box office>

Examples of STIFF

1. <the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events>
2. <customers who were too embarrassed to admit that they had been stiffed by an Internet company selling sexual aids>

First Known Use of STIFF

1950

Related to STIFF

Synonyms

cold-shoulder, cut, high-hat, slight, snub, stiff-arm

Related Words

isolate, ostracize; brush (aside or off), disdain, rebuff, reject, repel, repulse, scorn, spurn; disregard, forget, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, shrug off

stiff

adjective \ˈstif\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of STIFF

: lacking in suppleness <stiff muscles>

—stiff·ness noun