ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Stiff

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /stɪf/ · Part of speech adjective

Quick meaning: Stiff is an adjective meaning (of an object) Rigid; hard to bend; inflexible.

Meaning

(of an object) Rigid; hard to bend; inflexible.

More Meanings

  1. (figurative, of policies and rules and their application and enforcement) Inflexible; rigid.
  2. (of a person) Formal in behavior; unrelaxed.
  3. (colloquial) Harsh, severe.
  4. (of muscles or parts of the body) Painful or more rigid than usual as a result of excessive or unaccustomed exercise.
  5. (informal) Expensive, pricey.
  6. (informal) Dead, deceased.

Example Sentences

a stiff drink; a stiff dose; a stiff breeze
He was eventually caught, and given a stiff fine.
“Yes. I believe she has passed quite a stiff exam.”
My legs are stiff after climbing that hill yesterday.

Word Forms

Synonyms for stiff

Depending on context, synonyms include firm, frozen, hard, hardened, immalleable, inflexible.

Antonyms for stiff

Common opposites include flexible, loose, malleable, slack, soft.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include rigid, starchy, hard, immobile, tight, strong.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.