Meaning & use
a stiff drink
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UK/ə ˌstɪf ˈdrɪŋk/
US/ə ˌstɪf ˈdrɪŋk/
Meaning
nouncountableinformal
An alcoholic drink with a high proportion of strong liquor, usually taken to relax or recover from a shock.
Grammar: Countable: pour a stiff drink.
Patterns
- need a stiff drink
- pour a stiff drink
After the long flight he needed a stiff drink.
She poured herself a stiff drink after the argument.
Dad offered the nervous groom a stiff drink.
Word forms
| plural | stiff drinks |
|---|
Common combinations
- need a stiff drink
- After that meeting I need a stiff drink.
- pour a stiff drink
- He poured a stiff drink and sat down.
- order a stiff drink
- She ordered a stiff drink at the bar.
- down a stiff drink
- He downed a stiff drink and began his story.
Synonyms and how they differ
- strong drink
- Strong drink is plainer and more general than a stiff drink.
- shot
- A shot is a small measure of liquor, whereas a stiff drink can be any strong cocktail.
- nightcap
- A nightcap is a drink before bed, regardless of strength.
Opposites
soft drink
Word family
Commonly confused: a stiff drink or stiff upper lip?
a stiff drink vs stiff upper lip
Stiff upper lip refers to staying calm in hardship, not to drinking.
Practice
After hearing terrible news, someone says 'I need a stiff drink.' They want:
Choose one answer.
A stiff drink is strong liquor to steady the nerves. The other drinks are not strong in that sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a stiff drink”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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