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
  • Yust also alleges prosecutorial misconduct, arguing that a prosecutor improperly urged jurors to sentence him more harshly because of the emotional impact of the trial on them.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.
    — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • Gallup found that just 2% of Fortune 500 CHROs strongly agree their performance management system actually inspires employees to improve.
    — Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Previous-generation Outbacks were functional but had an unfortunate tendency to look as though their infotainment system had been installed by somebody who strongly disliked both computers and human beings.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • Ford Motor is increasing production of its crucial F-Series trucks after fires at an aluminum supplier severely impacted output over the past year.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The water supply system for the park was also severely damaged, along with part of a new $208 million water pipeline project that was underway near the ranch.
    — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and resembles a caramel sauce.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • First, the safeguards and rules of any legislation governing college athletics must be vigorously enforceable.
    — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of vigorously
Adverb
  • The summer had seen Europe endure an oppressively dry, hot summer, which had seen wildfires spring up across the continent.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • After a bit of a reprieve from an oppressively hot summer, another heat wave is set to scorch Southern California this week.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • This is the situation to which Haitians living in the United States are being forcibly returned.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
  • More than 350 Greenlandic Indigenous women and girls, including some 12 years old and younger, previously came forward to investigators and reported that they were forcibly given contraception by Danish health authorities.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of forcibly
Adverb
  • Malkovich is considered by prognosticators to be firmly in the mix in what is a very competitive best actor category this awards season with Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, Robert Pattinson, Andrew Scott, Sebastian Stan and Javier Bardem among a deep field.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
  • However, her performance soon takes on a more grounded, childlike cadence, which roots the supposedly amnesiac Margot a little too firmly within the literal, especially for a tale whose poetry lies in its uncanniness.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • His first job out of law school was as a judge’s clerk at the Court of Appeal of New Zealand, giving him a front-row seat to consequential decisions—and to people who could disagree fiercely without letting those disagreements become personal.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The 48-year-old just fiercely defended him in a lengthy statement to UsWeekly.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stiffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffly. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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