stiff 1 of 3

adjective

ˈstif How to pronounce stiff (audio)
Definition of stiffnext
1
as in rigid
incapable of or highly resistant to bending use a stiff piece of paper for the project

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tough
difficult to endure stiff winds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance felt stiff and ill-at-ease whenever she was introduced to her parents' friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort we'll have a stiff climb to actually reach the summit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stiff

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to cut
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

stiff

3 of 3

noun

1
as in corpse
a dead body to the mortician, a stiff was a stiff and they were all pretty much alike

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in person
a member of the human race one lucky stiff will get the biggest jackpot in the lottery's history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word stiff distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words inflexible and rigid are common synonyms of stiff. While all three words mean "difficult to bend," stiff may apply to any degree of this condition.

stretching keeps your muscles from becoming stiff

In what contexts can inflexible take the place of stiff?

The meanings of inflexible and stiff largely overlap; however, inflexible stresses lack of suppleness or pliability.

ski boots with inflexible soles

When would rigid be a good substitute for stiff?

In some situations, the words rigid and stiff are roughly equivalent. However, rigid applies to something so stiff that it cannot be bent without breaking.

a rigid surfboard

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stiff
Adjective
After a great success, there’s a tendency to get really rigid and stiff because everyone wants to outdo the success of the previous film. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026 The California billionaire tax could face a stiff challenge from a competing ballot measure that would ban state taxes on retirement accounts, according to tax experts. — Robert Frank, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
Verb
Dolan then appeared to take a shot at Mamdani during the team's victory celebration at City Hall and did his best to stiff him in a photo op. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 This look has the same sophisticated, polished feel of a suit moment without the dedication to stiff layers. — Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
Now the working stiffs are white-collar people. — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026 The bar remains a point of pride, originally a place where patrons made their own drinks and now a place where bartenders mix the stiff, old‑school cocktails. — Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff
  1. rigid
  2. tough
  3. excessive
  4. hard
  5. uncomfortable
  6. difficult
  7. formal
  8. drunk
Adjective
  • Unlike conventional industrial robots that rely on rigid structures and external safety barriers, AIR uses a compliant mechanical design intended to reduce the risk of injury during accidental contact.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Made of large, rigid plastic panels, Hardig’s invention was designed to be weather- and insect-proof, simple to clean and maintain, and lightweight and easy to move.
    — Sarah Kuta, Popular Science, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of rigid
Adjective
  • The Heat now returns home, but the competition is about to get tougher.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Councilwoman Willis has been a tough negotiator, challenging us to work with the City of Dallas transportation department to identify and fund meaningful traffic enhancements.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • The lack of transparency in the incentives’ application process, alongside excessive bureaucracy and uncertainty, remain issues, although Japanese industry folk have similar complaints about applying for export support.
    — Gavin J Blair, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The Wolf of Wall Street, the Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie movie about Belfort’s wild and excessive life as a New York stockbroker and boiler room boss, was released through Paramount Pictures.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of excessive
Adjective
  • The Chiefs have a far more difficult remaining schedule (eighth hardest) than the Broncos do (27th), per DVOA data.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The hardest part is often matching the format to the problem rather than simply choosing what’s most convenient.
    — Karen Koehler, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of hard
Adjective
  • Made with a breathable bamboo-viscose surface and waterproof barrier, it's designed to protect against spills without the uncomfortable crinkling of traditional mattress covers.
    — Jacorey Moon, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Jameson is an adult film actress, and Gronkowski put his head in his hands, appearing uncomfortable as Koutouvides started telling the story.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Adjective
  • The pilot must compensate manually using the controller, which can be difficult if the aircraft is far away or difficult to see.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The chocolatey all-suede style was first released in October 2023 and has become increasingly difficult to track down over the years, with certain sizes commanding premium prices on the secondary market.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • The system produced a mathematical proof that was accepted by Lean, a proof-assistant software used to check the logical correctness of formal mathematical arguments.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Paris Police Prefecture denied numerous formal requests for permits allowing protests in various areas of the city, citing October riots that led to thousands of arrests and violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of formal
Adjective
  • Except Moe is nice, caring, and talented, while Matt is arrogant, unpleasant, and, at the beginning of the episode, belligerently drunk.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Two Northfield, Minnesota, police officers were injured while arresting a woman suspected of driving drunk after a series of hit-and-run crashes that damaged three vehicles and two homes Monday evening, police said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of drunk

Phrases Containing stiff

Browse Nearby Words

sties
stiff
stiff-arm
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All