Meaning & use
stiff
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Hard to bend, move or stir; not flexible, or painfully tight in the muscles and joints.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after a verb: a stiff brush; my neck feels stiff.
Patterns
- stiff from something
- stiff with something
My legs were stiff after the long flight.
The paper was too stiff to fold neatly.
He woke with a stiff neck after sleeping on the sofa.
adjectivecomparable
Formal, cold or awkward in manner, not relaxed or natural.
Grammar: Describes people, behavior or speech: a stiff smile.
Patterns
- stiff with someone
The two neighbors exchanged a stiff greeting.
She sounded stiff and rehearsed during the interview.
adjectivebefore a noun
Strong, severe or demanding, as of a penalty, competition, breeze or alcoholic drink.
Grammar: Usually comes before the noun: a stiff fine, a stiff drink.
The company faces a stiff fine for breaking the rules.
A stiff wind made the walk back difficult.
The team expects stiff competition in the final.
Word forms
| comparative | stiffer |
|---|---|
| superlative | stiffest |
Common combinations
- stiff neck
- A cold draft gave me a stiff neck.
- stiff competition
- The shop faces stiff competition from online sellers.
- stiff breeze
- A stiff breeze blew across the harbor.
- stiff penalty
- Drivers face stiff penalties for speeding here.
- stiff and sore
- I felt stiff and sore after the hike.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rigid
- Rigid suggests something that does not bend at all, while stiff can still give a little.
- formal
- Formal is neutral about manners, whereas stiff suggests the formality feels uncomfortable.
- tense
- Tense stresses nervous tightness, while stiff stresses lack of easy movement.
- harsh
- Harsh fits punishments and criticism but is not used for physical rigidity.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: stiff or stuff?
stiff vs stuff
Stuff is a noun for things or material; stiff describes rigidity.
Practice
After hours at his desk, Marco felt ___ when he finally stood up.
Choose one answer.
Stiff describes muscles and joints that move with difficulty. Stuffy describes air or a blocked nose, and strict describes rules.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stiff”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.