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
  • An otherwise magical season for the New England Patriots ended rather harshly in Super Bowl LX.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 9 July 2026
  • Yet others — particularly those who identify as Jews through ethnic, cultural or family ties, rather than religion — feel less connected to Israel and judge its actions in the ongoing conflict more harshly.
    — David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • Even with global unemployment at historically low levels, fewer than one in four workers strongly believe their job is safe from being eliminated, according to ADP Research.
    — Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • The difference between these two measurements gives the exciton binding energy, a key quantity that determines how strongly the electron and hole remain bound together.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • The person who died was taken to the shore severely injured and, despite CPR being administered, was pronounced dead, officials said.
    — Tristan Maglunog, ABC News, 15 July 2026
  • When rescuers first met her, Rockalina’s eyes were sealed shut, her nails were severely overgrown, and cat hair had become tightly wrapped around one of her legs.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • The Heat had a preliminary discussion with the representation for free agent Bradley Beal but hasn’t pursued him vigorously.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
  • The president fought the outcomes of Carroll’s cases vigorously.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026
Definition of vigorously
Adverb
  • The oppressively hot and steamy weather was no deterrent for the crowds that lined up along Crandon Boulevard on Saturday to celebrate America’s independence at Key Biscayne’s 67th Fourth of July parade.
    — Pedro Portal, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • Fortunately, this spell of hot temps will be a generally drier heat — not necessarily oppressively humid like is typical for New England.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • The International Rescue Committee estimates that there are 118 million people worldwide who have been forcibly displaced this year alone.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, videos also circulate of men on Russian streets being forcibly press-ganged into the army.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of forcibly
Adverb
  • And while reusing first-stage rocket boosters (like the Super Heavy) is firmly within SpaceX’s wheelshouse, the company has never reused the upper stage of a rocket.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Norway’s elite 6-foot-5 goal scorer raced with some of the best in the battle for the Golden Boot in the tournament, given to the player with the most goals, and his performance in DFW put his name firmly on the world stage.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • Every child deserves security, dignity, and a community that stands fiercely in their defense.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Meade plays her estranged sister, Erin Whisper, a hard-partying, fiercely independent single mother who never left.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 13 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of stiffly for Spanish Speakers

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