1
as in rigid
incapable of or highly resistant to bending
use a stiff piece of paper for the project
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Relevance
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2
as in tough
difficult to endure
stiff winds
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3
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
don't you think that's a pretty stiff fine for such a minor infraction?
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4
as in hard
having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure
stir two cups of flour with the remaining ingredients to make a stiff dough
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5
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
felt stiff and ill-at-ease whenever she was introduced to her parents' friends
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6
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
we'll have a stiff climb to actually reach the summit
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7
as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
the stiff politeness with which I was greeted suggested that they weren't truly happy to see me
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8
as in drunk
being under the influence of alcohol
seeing that the customer was more than a little stiff, the bartender offered to call a cab for him
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1
2
as in person
a member of the human race
one lucky stiff will get the biggest jackpot in the lottery's history
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1
as in to cut
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events
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2
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
customers who were too embarrassed to admit that they had been stiffed by an Internet company claiming to sell designer handbags
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stiff
Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
In contrast, Trump faces stiff opposition in liberal states.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Huntley Woods, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Cookie returned to his post at the bar, where seven or eight working stiffs were lined up, and the two women stood in front of that big, wide window in broad daylight and began passionately kissing.
—Al Pacino, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Bill is a great character, all stiff back and prissiness.
—Laurie Hertzel, Boston Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Adjective
But the deal was met with stiff scrutiny from US regulators who feared the combination would violate federal antitrust laws and reduce competition in the drug store market.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
In contrast, Trump faces stiff opposition in liberal states.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
The Thing is one of those rare sci-fi horrors that stands the test of time due to its suspenseful pacing and its groundbreaking practical effects by Rob Bottin, leaving you both frozen and scared stiff.
—Huntley Woods, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Cookie returned to his post at the bar, where seven or eight working stiffs were lined up, and the two women stood in front of that big, wide window in broad daylight and began passionately kissing.
—Al Pacino, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Verb
But the administration's efforts to abolish federal agencies authorized by Congress are likely to meet the same fate as their attempts to stiff USAID contractors.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Bill is a great character, all stiff back and prissiness.
—Laurie Hertzel, Boston Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff
Adjective
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This man isn’t defined by grand gestures or rigid gender scripts.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
-
Having the drawstring attached to something rigid makes this job much easier to manage.—
Maryal Miller Carter,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Last year’s drought conditions that extended into late fall combined with very windy winter conditions and frozen soils were tough for some evergreens.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
10 May 2025
-
But his sharpness increased as the tournament progressed, especially in the semi-final against his toughest opponent on paper, Stephen Nedoroscik.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
These thunderstorms are producing an excessive amount of deadly cloud to ground lightning.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 May 2025
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Among its findings were that Banks used excessive force and falsely imprisoned Myles; that Banks’ use of his dog violated Myles’ Fourth Amendment rights; that Banks and the county were both negligent; and that the county violated Myles’ civil rights by failing to properly train and supervise Banks.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
-
Die-hard Chiefs fan Paul Rudd was on the field before the game, sporting a big smile and a team jersey.—
Andrew Dalton,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
Alexander Skarsgard’s tendency is toward characters who maintain the unavoidable aspect of beauty, but are uncomfortable looking like Alexander Skarsgard, or work to hide their beauty under buckets of blood or threats of abuse.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2025
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What’s undeniable is that the sight of someone who has contributed so much to Liverpool’s success in the modern era being subjected to such treatment on Sunday was deeply uncomfortable.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Ramsay is a filmmaker of undeniable formal wizardry and a fearless explorer of psychological rupture.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
-
Robinhood submitted a formal 42-page proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting the creation of a federal regulatory framework for the issuance and trading of tokenized RWAs.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Pino’s attorney, Howard Srebnick, criticized the FWC in a statement Friday, saying the loss of Gazzola’s body camera footage hurts Pino’s possibilities of having a fair trial, given the officer’s testimony that Pino showed signs of being drunk.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2025
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Interestingly for a modern teen show, nobody’s getting drunk or doing drugs, apart from a couple of pot-smoking adults and flirty old friend Shannon (Zora Casebere), who comes on to Justin during the family’s annual summer decampment to Martha’s Vineyard.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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