Definition of stiff
1a : not easily bent : rigid a stiff collarb : lacking in suppleness or flexibility stiff musclesc : impeded in movement —used of a mechanism a truck's stiff suspensiond : drunk 1a
2a : firm, resoluteb : stubborn, unyieldingc : proudd (1) : marked by reserve or decorum (2) : lacking in ease or grace : stilted
3 : hard fought stiff competition
4a (1) : exerting great force a stiff wind (2) : forceful, vigorousb : potent poured her a stiff drink
5 : of a dense or glutinous consistency : thick
6a : harsh, severe a stiff penaltyb : arduous, rugged stiff terrain
7 : not easily heeled over by an external force (such as the wind) a stiff ship
stiffly
adverbstiffness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
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.
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
First Known Use: before 12th century
Synonym Discussion of stiff
stiff
Definition of stiff
13th Century
First Known Use of stiff
13th century
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.
Circa 1859
First Known Use of stiff
circa 1859
stiff
Definition of stiff
Examples of stiff in a Sentence
the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events
1950
First Known Use of stiff
1950
STIFF Defined for English Language Learners
stiff
playDefinition of stiff for English Language Learners
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: difficult to bend or move
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: painful to move or use; also : showing pain in movement or use
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: thick and difficult to stir or pour
stiff
Definition of stiff for English Language Learners
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: very much : to an extreme degree
stiff
Definition of stiff for English Language Learners
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: the body of a dead person
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: a person who you think is lucky, unlucky, etc.
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: an ordinary or dull person
stiff
Definition of stiff for English Language Learners
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: to not give as much money as you should give to (someone)
STIFF Defined for Kids
stiff
playDefinition 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
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 stifflystiffness
nounMedical Dictionary
stiff
playMedical Definition of stiff
: lacking in suppleness stiff muscles
stiffness
nounLearn More about stiff
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See words that rhyme with stiff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stiff Spanish Central: Translation of stiff Nglish: Translation of stiff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stiff for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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