English Dictionary

STIFF

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does stiff mean? 

STIFF (noun)
  The noun STIFF has 2 senses:

1. an ordinary manplay

2. the dead body of a human beingplay

  Familiarity information: STIFF used as a noun is rare.


STIFF (adjective)
  The adjective STIFF has 7 senses:

1. not moving or operating freelyplay

2. powerfulplay

3. rigidly formalplay

4. having a strong physiological or chemical effectplay

5. marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakableplay

6. incapable of or resistant to bendingplay

7. very drunkplay

  Familiarity information: STIFF used as an adjective is common.


STIFF (adverb)
  The adverb STIFF has 2 senses:

1. extremelyplay

2. in a stiff mannerplay

  Familiarity information: STIFF used as an adverb is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


STIFF (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

An ordinary man

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Context example:

a working stiff

Hypernyms ("stiff" is a kind of...):

adult male; man (an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman))


Sense 2

Meaning:

The dead body of a human being

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

cadaver; clay; corpse; remains; stiff

Context example:

honor comes to bless the turf that wraps their clay

Hypernyms ("stiff" is a kind of...):

body; dead body (a natural object consisting of a dead animal or person)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stiff"):

cremains (the remains of a dead body after cremation)

Domain usage:

slang (a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves))


STIFF (adjective)

 Declension: comparative and superlative 
Comparative: stiffer  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Superlative: stiffest  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Not moving or operating freely

Context example:

a stiff hinge

Similar:

immobile (not capable of movement or of being moved)

Derivation:

stiffness (the physical property of being inflexible and hard to bend)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Powerful

Context example:

a stiff breeze

Similar:

strong (having strength or power greater than average or expected)


Sense 3

Meaning:

Rigidly formal

Synonyms:

buckram; starchy; stiff

Context example:

his prose has a buckram quality

Similar:

formal (being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress))

Derivation:

stiffness (the inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment))


Sense 4

Meaning:

Having a strong physiological or chemical effect

Synonyms:

potent; stiff; strong

Context example:

a stiff drink

Similar:

equipotent (having equal strength or efficacy)

multipotent (able to many things)

Also:

effective; effectual; efficacious (producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect)

fertile (capable of reproducing)

powerful (having great power or force or potency or effect)

Attribute:

effectiveness; potency; strength (capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects)


Sense 5

Meaning:

Marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

Synonyms:

firm; steadfast; steady; stiff; unbendable; unfaltering; unshakable; unwavering

Context example:

unwavering loyalty

Similar:

resolute (firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination)

Derivation:

stiffness (firm resoluteness in purpose or opinion or action)


Sense 6

Meaning:

Incapable of or resistant to bending

Synonyms:

rigid; stiff

Context example:

a stiff neck

Similar:

inflexible (resistant to being bent)

Derivation:

stiffness (the property of moving with pain or difficulty)

stiffness (the physical property of being inflexible and hard to bend)


Sense 7

Meaning:

Very drunk

Synonyms:

besotted; blind drunk; blotto; cockeyed; crocked; fuddled; loaded; pie-eyed; pissed; pixilated; plastered; slopped; sloshed; smashed; soaked; soused; sozzled; squiffy; stiff; tight; wet

Similar:

drunk; gone; inebriated; intoxicated; ripped (stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol))

Domain usage:

argot; cant; jargon; lingo; patois; slang; vernacular (a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves))


STIFF (adverb)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Extremely

Context example:

frightened stiff


Sense 2

Meaning:

In a stiff manner

Synonyms:

stiff; stiffly

Context example:

his hands lay stiffly


 Context examples 


It causes swollen, red, hot and stiff joints.

(Gout, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Never till I'm stiff and old and have to use a crutch.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

In its early stages, you may have flu-like symptoms and a stiff neck.

(Meningococcal Infections, NIH)

“Give me the key,” said my mother; and though the lock was very stiff, she had turned it and thrown back the lid in a twinkling.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Instead, a stiffer material, most likely water-ice, created the peaks.

(The Icy Mountains of Pluto, NASA)

He was evidently unused to stiff collars.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The storm had evidently broken during the night, though a huge sea was still running and a stiff wind blowing.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“Pretty stiff in the back?” said he, making himself upright.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

This can cause the organs to become stiff and unable to work the way they should.

(Amyloidosis, NIH)

He looked up at the ceiling, back at the closed door, and round at the stiff folds of motionless tapestry.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"No pain, no gain." (English proverb)

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"Next to fire, straw isn't good." (Corsican proverb)



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