stiff

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 (such as the wind)

a stiff ship

8 :expensive, steep

paid a stiff price

—

stiffish

play \ˈsti-fish\ adjective

—

stiffly

adverb

—

stiffness

noun

See stiff defined for English-language learners

See stiff defined for kids

Examples of stiff in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of stiff from the Web

But New York and New Jersey lawmakers seeking help over Sandy encountered stiffer resistance.

— Washington Post, "Bad blood lingers in GOP as Congress ponders Harvey relief," 29 Aug. 2017
But New York and New Jersey lawmakers seeking help over Superstorm Sandy encountered stiffer resistance.

— andrew taylor, chicagotribune.com, "Trump promises federal aid to storm-ravaged Texas," 28 Aug. 2017
And as the United States under President Trump pivots toward protectionism, European winemakers are expected to face stiff competition from Australia and other countries as the European Union seeks new trade deals to compensate.

— liz alderman, New York Times, "Wine War in Southern France Has Streets Running Red," 25 Aug. 2017
Chairs, announce tables, stiff moves, this one had a little of everything.

— jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Beast wounded but wins in wild main event at WWE SummerSlam," 21 Aug. 2017
Beat 1/2 cup cream to stiff peaks, and fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into a shallow dish,

— Country Living, "Pumpkin Mousse," 24 July 2017
Some MPs are pushing for tougher sentences for such crimes, although stiff penalties can already be applied.

— The Economist, "New fears, old menaceAcid attacks have a long history in Britain," 20 July 2017
The competition has gotten stiffer as more newcomers have joined the fray, encouraging everyone to step up their game.

— matthew segal, Los Angeles Magazine, "One of the Keys to Enjoying L.A. Is Driving Farther Than a Reasonable Person Should," 14 July 2017
Their bodies can be unusually stiff: When they are picked up, their heads may not fall back.

— catherine saint louis, New York Times, "A Tide of Opioid-Dependent Newborns Forces Doctors to Rethink Treatment," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stiff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

stiff Synonyms

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

stiff

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

See stiff defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of stiff from the Web

Their valuable middle infielders — shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (sore left knee) and second baseman Neil Walker (stiff back) — are dealing with the reappearance of injuries.

— james wagner, New York Times, "Walk-off Homer by Yoenis Cespedes Lifts Mets in Crucial Series Opener," 29 Aug. 2016

First Known Use of stiff

13th century

stiff

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

See stiff defined for English-language learners

Examples of stiff in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of stiff from the Web

One of the working stiffs, a manager at the funeral home, tailed the car until deputies arrived, and, using chop sticks, stopped Occenat dead in his tracks, who ran into the wood, according to his arrest affidavit.

— barbara hijek, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Man accused of stealing funeral home's vehicle," 17 Aug. 2017
With dull brown eyes and a helmet of white hair, the 63-year-old Brooks has a stiff, dorky countenance and an abrupt style.

— molly ball, The Atlantic, "What Happens When Trump Endorses the Candidate of the Hated Establishment?," 14 Aug. 2017
The right-wing Conservatives were the party of the middle class and the upper crust, while left-wing Labour was the party of the working stiffs.

— adam taylor, Washington Post, "In 20 years, British politics went from being about class to being about age," 14 June 2017
But their higher prices have put the historically cheap fare out of the reach of the regular working stiff.

— jim shahin, sacbee.com, "This is the future of barbecue: No regions, no rules, lots of innovation," 23 May 2017
Pujols will be hopping to first base on crutches, the Angels will still be bringing in stiffs to play left field and second base, the catcher will be a AAA reject, and the starting staff will be rolling out guys that were No.

— los angeles times, latimes.com, "Letters: There's something wrong with these rights," 19 May 2017
It's been growing for several decades, with the wages of working stiffs stagnating, productivity remaining high, and the folks at the tippy top — CEOs and the like — making more and more and more.

— rex huppke, chicagotribune.com, "It's time for CEOs to address stagnant worker pay," 16 May 2017
His talent agency had gotten him the third lead, behind Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, in a stiff, big-budget MGM production called The Great Sinner.

— glenn frankel, vanityfair.com, "High Noon’s Secret Backstory," 22 Feb. 2017
His talent agency had gotten him the third lead, behind Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, in a stiff, big-budget MGM production called The Great Sinner.

— glenn frankel, HWD, "High Noon’s Secret Backstory," 22 Feb. 2017

First Known Use of stiff

circa 1859

stiff Synonyms

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

stiff

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

See stiff defined for English-language learners

Examples of stiff in a Sentence

the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events

Recent Examples of stiff from the Web

As a developer, Donald Trump earned a reputation for stiffing the skilled tradespeople who worked on his projects.

— conor friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "Imagining a Better Democratic Populism," 25 Aug. 2017
And some are blaming the Democrats for their unbroken wall of opposition, though the GOP did nothing do include them in the process—just as their party stiffed the Republicans in ramming through Barack Obama’s legislation.

— howard kurtz, Fox News, "Terminal patient: Why Trump and GOP couldn't revive the health bill," 19 July 2017
Hair stylists and barbers fared slightly better: Only 12 percent of those polled stiffed these workers.

— polly mosendz, Bloomberg.com, "Men and Republicans Are the Best Tippers," 10 July 2017
Rafool claims Martinez stiffed him on fees charged to represent Martinez in his long, drawn-out, nasty divorce.

— by jose lambiet, miamiherald, "Celebrity divorce lawyer says attorney didn’t pay his own fees," 7 June 2017
New York City Uber drivers are about to see a hefty refund after Uber admitted to stiffing drivers $45 million because of an accounting glitch.

— yesha callahan, The Root, "Uber Accounting Glitch Caused NYC Drivers to Be Underpaid by $45,000,000," 25 May 2017
Some were completely stiffed, with no real recourse other than pursuing a lawsuit that likely would cost more than the amount they weren’t paid.

— diane stafford, kansascity.com, "Freelance isn’t free: Watch this play out in the gig economy," 18 May 2017
Yes, stiffing the officiant is a rude, disrespectful, obnoxious affront to a vital service on this day.

— amy dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Parents bemoan daughter's Bridezilla transformation," 13 May 2017
Like a drop in the pace of mechanic liens, the legal paperwork that contractors used when stiffed by a property owner for work performed.

— jonathan lansner, Orange County Register, "Southern California bankruptcy filings at 10-year low," 24 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of stiff

1950

stiff Synonyms

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 Defined for English Language Learners

stiff

adjective

Definition of stiff for English Language Learners

: difficult to bend or move
: painful to move or use; also : showing pain in movement or use
: thick and difficult to stir or pour

stiff

adverb

Definition of stiff for English Language Learners

: very much : to an extreme degree

stiff

noun

Definition of stiff for English Language Learners

: the body of a dead person
: a person who you think is lucky, unlucky, etc.
: an ordinary or dull person

stiff

verb

Definition of stiff for English Language Learners

: to not give as much money as you should give to (someone)

STIFF Defined for Kids

stiff

adjective \ ˈstif \

Definition of stiff for Students

stiffer; stiffest

1 :not easily bent

And because Sarah's clothes were stiff and heavy, the Indian woman made her clothes of deerskin …
—Alice Dalgliesh, The Courage of Sarah Noble

2 :not easily moved

stiff muscles

3 :firm and not changeable

stiff determination

4 :not friendly, relaxed, or graceful in manner

… how tense Phoebe's whole family seemed, how tidy, how respectable, how … stiff.
—Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons

5 :powerful, strong

a stiff wind

6 :not flowing easily :thick

Beat the egg whites until stiff.

7 :severe 3

a stiff penalty

8 :hard to do or deal with :difficult

a stiff test

—

stiffly

adverb

walk stiffly

—

stiffness

noun

Medical Dictionary

stiff

adjective \ ˈstif \

medical Definition of stiff

:lacking in suppleness

stiff muscles

—

stiffness

noun

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STIFF Defined for English Language Learners

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stiff

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Definition of stiff for English Language Learners

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medical Definition of stiff

stiffness

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