stiff

stiff
[[t]stɪ̱f[/t]]
stiffer, stiffest
1) ADJ-GRADED Something that is stiff is firm or does not bend easily.

The furniture was stiff, uncomfortable, too delicate, and too neat...

His gaberdine trousers were brand new and stiff...

Her fingers were stiff with cold inside her leather gloves...

Clean the mussels with a stiff brush under cold running water.

Syn:
Ant:
Derived words:
stiffly ADV-GRADED ADV adj, ADV with v

Moira sat stiffly upright in her straight-backed chair.

2) ADJ-GRADED Something such as a door or drawer that is stiff does not move as easily as it should.

Train doors have handles on the inside. They are stiff so that they cannot be opened accidentally.

3) ADJ-GRADED If you are stiff, your muscles or joints hurt when you move, because of illness or because of too much exercise.

The Mud Bath is particularly recommended for relieving tension and stiff muscles...

I'm stiff all over right now - I hope I can recover for tomorrow's race.

Derived words:
stiffly ADV-GRADED

He climbed stiffly from the Volkswagen.

stiffness N-UNCOUNT

Stiffness and discomfort can usually be eased with heat or a warm bath.

4) ADJ-GRADED Stiff behaviour is rather formal and not very friendly or relaxed.

She looked at him with a stiff smile...

They always seemed a little awkward with each other, a bit stiff and formal.

Syn:
Ant:
Derived words:
stiffly ADV-GRADED ADV with v, ADV adj

`Why don't you borrow your sister's car?' said Cassandra stiffly...

He was sending a stiffly worded letter of complaint to the club.

stiffness N-UNCOUNT

There had been stiffness and long silences and tension in the air.

5) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n Stiff can be used to mean difficult or severe.

The film faces stiff competition for the Best Film nomination...

Under Greece's stiff anti-drugs laws they could face twenty years in jail.

6) ADJ-GRADED: ADJ n A stiff drink is a large amount of a strong alcoholic drink.

...a stiff whisky.

Syn:
7) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n A stiff wind is blowing quite strongly.

Next morning dawned clear and sunny, with a stiff breeze rustling the trees.

Syn:
8) ADV: adj ADV (emphasis) If you are bored stiff, worried stiff, or scared stiff, you are extremely bored, worried, or scared. [INFORMAL]

Anna tried to look interested. Actually, she was bored stiff...

I was scared stiff when I realized what I'd done.

ADJ: v n ADJ
Stiff is also an adjective.

Even if he bores you stiff, it is good manners not to let him know it.

9) stiff upper lip → see lip

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • stiff´ly — stiff «stihf», adjective, adverb, noun, verb. –adj. 1. not easily bent; fixed; rigid: »a stiff brush. He wore a stiff collar. 2. hard to move: »a stiff gear. The old hinges on the barn door are stiff. 3. not able to move easily: »a stiff neck.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Stiff — Stiff, a. [Compar. {Stiffer}; superl. {Stiffest}.] [OE. stif, AS. st[=i]f; akin to D. stijf, G. steif, Dan. stiv, Sw. styf, Icel. st[=i]fr, Lith. stipti to be stiff; cf. L. stipes a post, trunk of a tree, stipare to press, compress. Cf. {Costive} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Stiff — may refer to:*Stiffness, a material s resistance to bending *Stiff differential equation, an equation that exhibits behaviour at two widely different scales (the differential equations describing stiff materials are stiff differential equations)… …   Wikipedia

  • stiff — [stɪf] verb [transitive] informal to not pay someone money that you owe them or that they expect to be given, for example by not leaving a tip in a restaurant see also working stiff * * * Ⅰ. stiff UK US /stɪf/ adjective ► …   Financial and business terms

  • stiff — [stif] adj. [ME stif < OE, akin to Ger steif < IE * stip , a pole, stick together (var. of base * steib(h) , rod) > L stipes, stem, stake, log, stipare, to crowd, cram] 1. hard to bend or stretch; rigid; firm; not flexible or pliant 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • Stiff — bezeichnet: Stiff Records, ein britisches Independent Label Stiff Little Fingers, eine Punkband aus Belfast Stiff man Syndrom, eine neurologische Krankheit Stiff Upper Lip, ein Albumtitel von AC/DC Stiff ist der Familienname folgender Person:… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • stiff — stiff; stiff·en; stiff·en·er; stiff·ish; stiff·ly; stiff·ness; …   English syllables

  • stiff — [adj1] hard, inflexible annealed, arthritic, benumbed, brittle, buckram, cemented, chilled, congealed, contracted, creaky, firm, fixed, frozen, graceless, hardened, immalleable, impliable, incompliant, indurate, inelastic, jelled, mechanical,… …   New thesaurus

  • stiff — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not easily bent; rigid. 2) not moving freely; difficult to turn or operate. 3) unable to move easily and without pain. 4) not relaxed or friendly; constrained. 5) severe or strong: stiff fines. 6) (stiff with) informal full of …   English terms dictionary

  • stiff´en|er — stiff|en «STIHF uhn», transitive verb. to make stiff or stiffer: »She stiffened the shirt with starch. –v.i. to become stiff or stiffer: »The jelly will stiffen as it cools. The wind was stiffening as the storm approached. Figurative. He… …   Useful english dictionary

  • stiff|en — «STIHF uhn», transitive verb. to make stiff or stiffer: »She stiffened the shirt with starch. –v.i. to become stiff or stiffer: »The jelly will stiffen as it cools. The wind was stiffening as the storm approached. Figurative. He stiffened with… …   Useful english dictionary

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