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
  • But their complaints come as Lecornu's government seeks to rein in public spending to appease skittish bond markets, which have punished France more harshly than many of its peers this year, amid a global bond market rout.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • His government has also been harshly criticized for a migration crisis in Ceuta.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • Near the epicenter, the agency estimated an intensity of VIII, classified as severe on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, which measures how strongly the ground shakes at individual locations.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This endeavor is not easy, and these companies are strongly advocating for abolishing the leap second.
    — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • The movie offered a sly critique of Korea’s rapid urbanization, and introduced the wayward types (bar girls, severely disabled men) that would populate all of Lee’s films.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The wars severely tarnished the United States’ global reputation and left a generation of Americans skeptical that the country could be a force for good in the world.
    — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • Flock stands by the accuracy and integrity of its technology and intends to vigorously defend itself in this litigation.
    — Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Whisk vigorously until the mixture turns pale and thick like wet sand, 2 to 3 minutes -- this is the espumita base.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 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
  • Deputies spoke to the male victim, who alleged the suspects forcibly entered his home with the weapon and assaulted him inside, the statement said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • They were forcibly removed by British ambassador Lord Elgin more than 200 years ago and have yet to return to their homeland.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of forcibly
Adverb
  • All your living room furniture should sit firmly on the rug (in a bedroom, nightstands are the exception).
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Using your hands, firmly press ends down toward platter to split potatoes open.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • Dropped by his followers and shunned by his circle, Jim has only Lucien on his side, a skinny and fiercely loyal admirer.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In Flanagan‘s take, Margaret is fiercely committed to shielding Carrie from the world’s dangers and from her classmates’ cruelty, even becoming a parental advocate in their community and on social media.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 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 15 Oct. 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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All