1
as in rigid
incapable of or highly resistant to bending
use a stiff piece of paper for the project
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Toronto’s stiffest competition for the American League’s top seed, the Detroit Tigers, pulled their ace early.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Say goodbye to stiff towels with these tips for how to make towels soft again.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Mickey 17 was a stiff in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, earning, per The Numbers, $19 million from 3,807 theaters.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Adjective
Surveillance footage showed Robinson walking with a stiff, uneven stride—specifically, minimal bending in his right leg.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Toronto’s stiffest competition for the American League’s top seed, the Detroit Tigers, pulled their ace early.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
And for the legions of blue-collar stiffs just like him.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Say goodbye to stiff towels with these tips for how to make towels soft again.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
Noun
Margouleff sat along a wall, posture stiff, restraining himself from saying something about Sites’s jean jacket.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Mickey 17 was a stiff in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, earning, per The Numbers, $19 million from 3,807 theaters.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff
Adjective
-
Kong said this soft approach helps address risks such as ulcers, puncture injuries, and inflammation, which are often linked to rigid devices inside the body.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Brits still point to the overrepresentation of French names in high-status professions as evidence of a rigid and enduring class system.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Red Rocketeers were looking to bounce back after a tough loss against King Phillip, but the opponent was strong.—
Zachary McMahon,
Boston Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Lee described the rookies as tough competitors who displayed a championship mentality during their run to the summer league championship.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That could drastically reduce risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and ecosystem damage that are typically caused by excessive ultraviolet radiation exposure.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Given recent government scrutiny on excessive competition, big subsidies for delivery services are more of a concern than spending heavily on tech investments, BDA’s Clark noted.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
No matter what that campaign had brought it would be a celebration of all their hard work.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
-
If Lamb is out, opposing defenses will likely clamp down a bit more with only Pickens to worry about as an explosive play threat, which means moving the chains will be a little harder for the rest of the offense.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Fear of uncomfortable conversations creates cultures of dishonesty, making innovation impossible.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
More than half reported feeling uncomfortable about their own or someone else's smelly shoes, and 90 percent kept their shoes in a shoe rack.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Winning that game won't be easy, but winning it without Lamb would be even more difficult.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Sep. 2025
-
There will be times, like at a raucous Goodison Park last February, when Everton can rise to an occasion and make life difficult for their neighbours.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
A day after Utah prosecutors unveiled formal charges against the suspect in the assassination of Kirk, no evidence has emerged connecting 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with any outside group.—
Trevor Hunnicutt,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
-
This approach inadvertently excludes several groups—including low- to moderate-income households, migrants and others—who face challenges such as lack of formal identification, irregular income streams and limited digital literacy.—
Akhil Gupta,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Make people mad, say something racist, interview a drunk girl outside a Chili’s about anal.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Here’s a guy who’s just married, on his honeymoon, drunk off his ass, and being given the steering wheel to a plane with 400 people behind him.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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