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

Relevance

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
  • Lovingly based on Chéri’s own family history, Wanted whisks the audience into the postbellum south where Black Americans have been given their freedom in name alone, as they are harshly and repeatedly reminded.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Mamdani said that treating people who disagree with him harshly or with judgment leads to both sides feeling like there has to be a winner or loser in the debate.
    — Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • In Beacon Falls, Danbury and Cromwell, developers have strongly signalled their intentions to build but haven’t filed official zoning applications.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Brand, who strongly denied wrongdoing, will be sentenced next week.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • Hospitals in the north lack health workers, medicines and equipment, while ambulance services are severely limited and insecurity is obstructing medical deliveries, Tedros said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Utley fractured the vertebrae in his neck and severely damaged his spinal cord.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • Just a few feet away, Black vigorously nodded his head and pointed his fingers in the air in time with the music.
    — Gina Vivinetto, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Meanwhile, vigorously whisk 4 large egg yolks and ½ cup (100 g) sugar in a small heatproof bowl until smooth and lemon yellow, about 1 minute.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of vigorously
Adverb
  • The legislative push, first reported by The New York Times, aims to show a united Democratic caucus taking quick action on the issues they were elected to solve, especially oppressively high costs on everything from gas to groceries.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • Palestinian citizens of Israel, descendants of those who remained as the state of Israel was established in 1948 (when a majority of the prewar population was forcibly expelled or fled during the war) now make up about 20% of the population.
    — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Guitarricadelafuente — who co-stars in the film alongside Milo Quifes and Carlos González — plays Sebastián, a young musician (trumpeter) forcibly recruited by Franco’s forces after surviving an attack during the Spanish Civil War.
    — Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of forcibly
Adverb
  • For those of you counting at home, that makes eight of 14 Illinois House Dems firmly in the moderate camp.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Fiction, unlike other artistic media, can seamlessly manipulate time—whether keeping the reader firmly in the grasp of the present, enfolding different time periods into one scene, or leaping forward twenty years with a single paragraph break.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • The easy chemistry translates into the competition itself, where Levine notes that the four coaches are all fiercely competitive, but without the kind of animosity that can sometimes come with fighting over artists.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Greg’s colleagues from over the years describe him as fiercely competitive, not just with work projects but also with hobbies like running and weight lifting.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All