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
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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
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Recent Examples of stiff
Marie Lodi, Allure, 5 July 2025
Ingredients that remain on your hair or scalp often lead to dry or stiff hair, gritty particles, and shedding.1
Contact dermatitis causes inflamed, itchy, and irritated skin.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 3 July 2025
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
Failing to comply can lead to stiff fines (up to 4% of a company’s turnover) and disrupt market access.
—Florent Bouguin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Focusing mostly on the commercial fishing boat Andrea Gail and its doomed crew of working-class stiffs (including pre-megastardom George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, not to mention John Hawkes and John C. Reilly), the film is a clinic in stomach-gnawing tension.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Adjective
The buildable formula never feels stiff or crunchy, and the tiny brush makes precise application effortless.
—Marie Lodi, Allure, 5 July 2025
Ingredients that remain on your hair or scalp often lead to dry or stiff hair, gritty particles, and shedding.1
Contact dermatitis causes inflamed, itchy, and irritated skin.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 3 July 2025
Verb
The past two comparable moves in this small-investor proxy, in November 2022 and March 2022, led to stiff near-term declines in the basket within weeks.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
Failing to comply can lead to stiff fines (up to 4% of a company’s turnover) and disrupt market access.
—Florent Bouguin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
Even while stunt workers are getting more recognition, there are still those in the industry who see them merely as working stiffs.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Focusing mostly on the commercial fishing boat Andrea Gail and its doomed crew of working-class stiffs (including pre-megastardom George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, not to mention John Hawkes and John C. Reilly), the film is a clinic in stomach-gnawing tension.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff
Adjective
-
Unlike rigid anomaly detection models, LLMs have the capability of identifying unknown threats and can reduce false positives significantly.—
Karan Alang,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
The wall, which was built in the late 1990s and is 2,278 feet long, undulates instead of forming a rigid line.—
Jennie Rothenberg Gritz,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Morton, 43, may take that advice under serious consideration, mentioning how tough the fans – and even fellow cast members – have been on her following this past season’s cast trip to Grenada.—
John Lawson,
Essence,
9 July 2025
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With one out, however, Ohtani was thrown at the plate trying to score from third on Pages’ chopper up the line — making an aggressive, but proper, read in a game in which the Dodgers had long before conceded that runs would be tough to come by.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Shifting From Reactive To Proactive Security: Organizations often spend excessive time reacting to rather than preventing threats.—
Bojan Šimić,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Missouri’s Felony Murder Statute is overly broad, often misused, and excessive.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 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
-
That die-hard fan base in Phoenix got a taste of glory in 2021 when the Suns were up two games to none in the Finals on the Milwaukee Bucks before dropping the next four and ultimately losing the championship series.—
Max Olsan,
The Arizona Republic,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
As the narrative has expanded into continuation and origin stories, like Dexter: New Blood and Dexter: Original Sin, Hall, 54, has returned as Dexter Morgan for even more uncomfortable experiences, while still out for blood.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
Looking cute doesn’t have to mean feeling uncomfortable.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
James is playing the final year of his contract at $52.6 million, which is a very difficult number for teams to pay.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
-
Our models and expertise can sniff out the broad parameters, but the precise location and timing of moisture plumes, training (quasi-stationary rain cells), and forcing mechanism can be difficult.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Mamdani has secured endorsements from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, but lacks formal support from Hochul and two other prominent New York lawmakers, Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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But since azaleas tolerate heavy pruning and respond by sending out new shoots all along remaining stems, the shrubs work well when sheared into a formal hedge.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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He was arrested twice for driving drunk, in 2012 and 2019.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
3 July 2025
-
But even just bringing up the incident is enough to send a very drunk Lisa off the deep end.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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