stiffly

adverb

Definition of stifflynext
1
as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering stiffly criticized for making such indiscreet comments in public

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strongly
in a vigorous and forceful manner a stiffly fought battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffly
  1. harshly
  2. strongly
  3. severely
  4. vigorously
  5. oppressively
  6. forcibly
  7. firmly
  8. fiercely
Adverb
  • Trump hadn’t yet declared war on Iran, but the country was roiling with protests, which had been harshly suppressed.
    — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The Greek myths are rife with petty and meddlesome deities squabbling, playing favorites, punishing harshly, and otherwise wreaking havoc on the lives of mortal men.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • That so many teams were capable of winning races showed how well the crews performed, especially considering the breeze was again blowing strongly across the Solent, around 17 knots and sometimes gusting over 20.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Star first baseman Bryce Harper has strongly advocated for aggressive trade deadline moves, suggesting the team acquire expensive veterans.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • In the following days, Beretti’s right knee swelled severely, according to her health department complaint.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • With employees bombarded by hundreds of daily notifications and attention spans shrinking to mere seconds, true productivity and complex decision-making are severely hampered.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • Angostura bitters Funnel Jigger or measuring cup Bring ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water just to a boil, stirring vigorously until sugar dissolves.
    — Al Culliton, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 July 2026
  • This means that feeding the right type of fertilizer is important to keep spiller plants growing vigorously.
    — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 22 July 2026
Definition of vigorously
Adverb
  • Survey respondents said their dwellings stayed oppressively hot even at night because overcrowding and poor construction trapped the heat.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 24 July 2026
  • Jackie searches for Madi, wondering if her sister is a victim or a killer while maneuvering an oppressively demanding office and reflecting on her own previous crimes.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • According to Russia’s defense ministry, Russian forces overnight struck down 133 Ukrainian drones over Russia, the Black Sea and Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow forcibly annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • Advertisement Activist Sonam Wangchuk was then forcibly taken to hospital after 26 days of a hunger strike meant to bring attention to protesters’ demands.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 25 July 2026
Definition of forcibly
Adverb
  • Another season-ticket holder from that first year remembered crowds being firmly in the 5,500 range.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • The decision to leave an underperforming third-party logistics provider (3PL) is usually simple enough, but contract termination fees, system integrations and inventory transfer expenses stand firmly in the way.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 July 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • Jason was hissing fiercely; Gordon, who projects a monastic calm, was trying to reason with the mother while batting her back each time the flap swung open.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • Beijing has so far avoided that framing, and is contending fiercely with Washington across the board.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
Definition of fiercely
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.

Browse Nearby Words

stiffing
stiffly
stiff-necked
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Cite this Entry

“Stiffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffly. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of stiffly for Spanish Speakers

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