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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stiff
Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
Simulations of crater formation on Mimas reveal the ice could not have been completely stiff when Herschel was carved.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Nina Caplan, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
And for the legions of blue-collar stiffs just like him.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025
But there is another man, intermediately, in this room: a working stiff named William Donloe, played by Rolf Saxon.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Adjective
As demand for vintage fashion explodes, there is stiff competition from major museum collectors.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
Simulations of crater formation on Mimas reveal the ice could not have been completely stiff when Herschel was carved.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
He is preoccupied with squaring the circle: purveying great, affordable coffee that doesn’t stiff the producer.
—Nina Caplan, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
And for the legions of blue-collar stiffs just like him.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Noun
The people are the everyday men and women that populate it, from working stiffs to fatcat bureaucrats.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025
But there is another man, intermediately, in this room: a working stiff named William Donloe, played by Rolf Saxon.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff
Adjective
-
His presence on the left was not a rigid change, but a fluid one with Zubimendi on the bench.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Researchers say the material can even be integrated with rigid robotic parts to create hybrid machines suited for complex, high-stress environments.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Falcons' offense has emerged as one of the toughest in the league, causing multiple turnovers a game.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
-
How self-reflection operates matters because it will always be needed to make wiser choices about our toughest challenges.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The thunderstorms could also bring excessive rainfall in northern Arkansas, southern Missouri and southern Illinois, bringing a risk of flash flooding, the weather service said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
-
There are risks of severe thunderstorms and excessive rainfall on Saturday from the Ozarks into the mid-Mississippi River Valley with potential for damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes, and flash flooding.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s the beauty of the league — every play matters and every play is hard to execute.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Oct. 2025
-
And help may be harder to find because some insurers no longer pay brokers commissions for new business.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Pay close attention to signs that a new sweater is uncomfortable or causing your dog pain.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Taking their uncomfortable seats were Josh Greenstein, president of marketing and production; Sanford Panitch, president of production; and Steven O’Dell, president of international marketing.—
Jay Glennie,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Travel could be very difficult to impossible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
-
This Is My Story While Israel and Hamas have accepted the two-phase agreement, many of the more difficult issues have been left unresolved.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Kabul wants to boost cooperation with an India that is also at odds with Pakistan, and as the Taliban continues to seek formal international recognition as the government of Afghanistan.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The company contested the findings and eventually reached a formal settlement, OSHA records show.—
Isabel Rosales,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The woman, who is five-months pregnant, explained on the community forum Mumsnet that she was left looking after her 4-year-old son at a wedding after her husband decided to get drunk at the wedding party.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, Malcolm is only getting drunker and more sullen as the reception progresses.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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