1
as in rigid
incapable of or highly resistant to bending
use a stiff piece of paper for the project
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2
as in tough
difficult to endure
stiff winds
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3
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
don't you think that's a pretty stiff fine for such a minor infraction?
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4
as in hard
having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure
stir two cups of flour with the remaining ingredients to make a stiff dough
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5
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
felt stiff and ill-at-ease whenever she was introduced to her parents' friends
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6
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
we'll have a stiff climb to actually reach the summit
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7
as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
the stiff politeness with which I was greeted suggested that they weren't truly happy to see me
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8
as in drunk
being under the influence of alcohol
seeing that the customer was more than a little stiff, the bartender offered to call a cab for him
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1
as in to cut
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events
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2
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
customers who were too embarrassed to admit that they had been stiffed by an Internet company claiming to sell designer handbags
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1
2
as in person
a member of the human race
one lucky stiff will get the biggest jackpot in the lottery's history
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stiff
Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Limited mid-back mobility and a stiff rib cage push the neck and upper-back muscles to work overtime during reaching and overhead movements, with the lower back compensating during any type of rotating.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 17 Jan. 2026
When your sugar mixture reaches 230°F, begin beating your egg whites to firm peak stage; egg whites will hold their shape but not quite to stiff peak stage.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 2025
Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Read More: South Park's Bicentennial At the center of the show was O’Connor’s character, Archie Bunker, a working stiff, a bigot, and a fool living with his dewy-eyed wife and their progressive daughter and son-in-law.
—Time, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Adjective
However, as mattresses age and their materials break down, uneven sleeping surfaces and poor support can force your body into unnatural positions, often leading to stiff, sore or achy joints in the morning.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Limited mid-back mobility and a stiff rib cage push the neck and upper-back muscles to work overtime during reaching and overhead movements, with the lower back compensating during any type of rotating.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
Best Sweatpant Jeans Gap New Ease Jeans Say goodbye to stiff denim waistbands thanks to the Gap New Ease Jeans.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 17 Jan. 2026
When your sugar mixture reaches 230°F, begin beating your egg whites to firm peak stage; egg whites will hold their shape but not quite to stiff peak stage.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Thing is one of those rare sci-fi horrors that stands the test of time due to its suspenseful pacing and its groundbreaking practical effects by Rob Bottin, leaving you both frozen and scared stiff.
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Read More: South Park's Bicentennial At the center of the show was O’Connor’s character, Archie Bunker, a working stiff, a bigot, and a fool living with his dewy-eyed wife and their progressive daughter and son-in-law.
—Time, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff
Adjective
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Pitches that just barely graze the rigid outer edge of the strike zone prompted questions about how infinitesimally accurate the HawkEye technology that underpins ABS can be.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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The film’s surplus of action and chase scenes follows the same rigid formula of swooping camera movements and game power-up deus ex machinas that no sequence ever proves particularly exciting.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Two sisters in Big Bear are facing one of the toughest moments in their lives.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Both problems also thwarted Artemis I, whose capsule returned with excessive heat shield damage.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Those key warning signs include low patient counts, excessive billing, staff shared across multiple companies, and supposedly terminally ill patients who were later discharged alive.—
Adam Yamaguchi,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sleeping positions and firmness Beyond mattress type, your preferred sleep position and mattress firmness (how hard or soft a bed feels) are other important factors to consider when buying a mattress.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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But these funding mechanisms can be hard to understand, from school bonds and GO bonds to tax levies and earnings taxes.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Pride should come from your willingness to improve, not from resisting uncomfortable truths.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Dry air can be harmful and uncomfortable, but the LEVOIT Top Fill Humidifier can address that in any room of your home.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Christie acknowledged that the Kings were in a difficult position given their recent schedule injury situation.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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Even putting the tank on the ice was more difficult this year.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Upstairs at Place, things are a little more formal.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Motsepe’s name as a future ANC leader often appears in fragments — in business conversations, in official corridors, in the soft intelligence that travels ahead of formal politics.—
Sam Mkokeli,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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When Robby races into the room, our drunk country clubber is being restrained, and his nose is bleeding.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
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Meet Keoma Duarte, age 41, accused of vehicular homicide of a local cop while driving drunk.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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