Stiff — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun verb /ˈstif/

Meaning & Definition of Stiff

Stiff (adjective)

  1. not easily bent, rigid
  2. lacking in suppleness or flexibility
  3. impeded in movement —used of a mechanism

Stiff (adverb)

  1. in a stiff manner, stiffly
  2. to an extreme degree, severely
  3. close enough to the hole for an easy putt in golf

Stiff (noun)

  1. corpse
  2. vagrant, tramp
  3. a member of the working class; especially, a blue-collar worker

Stiff (verb)

  1. to refuse to pay or tip
  2. cheat
  3. stick

Stiff (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. incapable of or highly resistant to bending

    "use a stiff piece of paper for the project"

    similar: inflexible, rigid, stiffened, unyielding
    related: inelastic, firm, hard, solid, sound, strong, brittle, crisp, compact, dense, substantial, arthritic, rheumatic, nonelastic, nonmalleable
    opposite: flexible, floppy, pliable, pliant, supple, yielding
    near: elastic, resilient, springy, stretchy, workable, malleable, plastic, semiflexible, droopy, flabby, flaccid, mushy, semisoft, soft, squashy, squishy, lank, limber, limp, lissome, lithe, lithesome, willowy

  2. difficult to endure

    "stiff winds"

    similar: bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, harsh, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, tough, trying
    related: austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable, biting, inclement, intemperate, wild, rigorous, strict, stringent, agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched, crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing, insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable, harrowing, tortuous, bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly, unpleasant
    opposite: easy, light, soft
    near: comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug, agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant, peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful, bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable, balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate

  3. 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?"

    similar: baroque, devilish, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, over-the-top, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, towering, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful, a bit much
    related: boundless, endless, immeasurable, infinite, limitless, unbearable, unjustifiable, unwarranted, improper, inappropriate, thick, unseemly, unrestrained
    opposite: middling, moderate, modest, reasonable, temperate
    near: deficient, inadequate, insufficient, minimal, minimum

  4. having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure

    "stir two cups of flour with the remaining ingredients to make a stiff dough"

    similar: compact, firm, hard, rigid, solid, unyielding
    related: case-hardened, compacted, compressed, hardened, indurated, stiffened, tempered, close, dense, heavy, thick, thickset, inelastic, inflexible, ramrod, unbending, condensed, adamantine, rocklike, sturdy, substantial, impenetrable, impermeable, nonporous
    opposite: flabby, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy
    near: loose, scattered, thin, bendable, elastic, flexible, malleable, pliable, pliant, supple, droopy, flaccid, floppy, lank, limp, slack, airy, light, permeable, porous, ultrasoft

  5. lacking social grace and assurance

    "felt stiff and ill-at-ease whenever she was introduced to her parents' friends"

    similar: awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, inelegant, rough-hewn, rustic, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden
    related: angular, gawky, lubberly, ungainly, boorish, clownish, uncouth, abashed, discomfited, discomforted, discomposed, disconcerted, discountenanced, embarrassed, self-conscious, agitated, bothered, chagrined, dismayed, disquieted, distressed, disturbed, fazed, flustered, jittery, jumpy, mortified, nervous, nonplussed, perturbed, rattled, unhinged, unsettled, upset, diffident, insecure, meek, modest, self-doubting, timid, unassertive, unassuming, unpretentious
    opposite: graceful, suave, urbane
    near: assured, calm, collected, composed, confident, cool, placid, poised, secure, self-assured, self-confident, self-possessed, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed

  6. requiring considerable physical or mental effort

    "we'll have a stiff climb to actually reach the summit"

    similar: arduous, Augean, backbreaking, challenging, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, formidable, grueling, hard, heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, laborious, moiling, murderous, pick-and-shovel, rigorous, rough, rugged, severe, strenuous, sweaty, tall, testing, toilsome, tough, uphill
    related: abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, elusive, hairy, insoluble, intricate, involved, knotty, opaque, problematic, recondite, serious, spiny, stubborn, thorny, ticklish, tricky, bruising, burdensome, exhausting, labored, onerous, oppressive, stressful, taxing, tight, trying, annoying, bothersome, distressing, irksome, troublesome, vexatious, grievous, grim, strict, stringent, brutal, cruel, inhuman, painful
    opposite: cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding
    near: achievable, clear, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated, comforting, gentle, painless, relaxed, smooth, soothing, accessible, friendly, idiotproof, user-friendly

  7. 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"

    similar: ceremonious, correct, decorous, formal, nice, proper, punctilious, starchy, stiff-necked, stilted
    related: sober, solemn, stately, chivalrous, courtly, gallant, genteel, polished, refined, civil, courteous, polite, red-carpet
    opposite: casual, easygoing, informal, laid-back, unceremonious
    near: improper, indecorous, unmannerly, discourteous, impolite, rude

  8. 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"

    similar: besotted, blasted (slang), blind, blitzed (slang), blotto (slang), bombed, boozy, canned (slang), cockeyed, crocked, drunk, drunken, fried, gassed, hammered (slang), high, impaired, inebriate, inebriated, intoxicated, juiced (slang), lit, lit up, loaded (slang), looped, oiled (slang), pickled, pie-eyed, plastered, potted (slang), ripped (slang), sloshed (slang), smashed (slang), sottish, soused, sozzled, squiffed, stewed, stinking (slang), stoned, tanked (slang), tiddly (chiefly British), tight, tipsy, wasted (slang), wet, wiped out (slang), in one's cups, in the bag (slang), three sheets in the wind, under the influence, under the weather
    related: maudlin, beery, befuddled, bleary-eyed, crapulous, dopey, rocky, strung out, stupefied, debauched, dissipated, dissolute, alcoholic, bibulous, dipsomaniacal
    opposite: sober, straight
    near: abstemious, abstinent, dry, temperate, teetotal, clearheaded, cool, level, steady

Stiff (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to deliberately ignore or treat rudely

    "the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events"

    similar: cold-shoulder, cut, high-hat, slight, snub, stiff-arm
    related: isolate, ostracize, brush (aside or off), disdain, rebuff, reject, repel, repulse, scorn, spurn, disregard, forget, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, shrug off

  2. 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"

    similar: beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, con, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, fleece, flimflam, gaff, hose (slang), hustle, mulct, nobble (British slang), pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, short, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize, sell a bill of goods to, take for a ride, take to the cleaners
    related: extort, wrench, wrest, wring, clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak, exploit, milk, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick, rope (in), betray, bitch, double-cross, bamboozle, fast-talk

Stiff (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a dead body

    "to the mortician, a stiff was a stiff and they were all pretty much alike"

    similar: bones, cadaver, carcass, corpse, corpus, corse (archaic), relics, remains
    related: mummy, carnage, carrion, ashes, deceased, decedent

  2. a member of the human race

    "one lucky stiff will get the biggest jackpot in the lottery's history"

    similar: baby, being, bird, bod (British), body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, thing, wight, son of man
    related: hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody
    near: animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Related Entry: Stiff-arm (verb)

Stiff-arm is a different word from Stiff. The synonyms below are for stiff-arm, not for stiff.

  1. to deliberately ignore or treat rudely

    "in his sad and lonely old age, he stiff-armed even once-beloved friends"

    similar: cold-shoulder, cut, high-hat, slight, snub, stiff
    related: isolate, ostracize, brush (aside or off), disdain, rebuff, reject, repel, repulse, scorn, spurn, disregard, forget, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, shrug off

Related Entry: Stiff-necked (adjective)

Stiff-necked is a different word from Stiff. The synonyms below are for stiff-necked, not for stiff.

  1. having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude

    "he was too stiff-necked to admit that underlings might have useful ideas"

    similar: arrogant, assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, haughty, high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, highfalutin, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, supercilious, superior, toplofty, uppish, uppity
    related: authoritarian, bossy, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, pontifical, pontificating, condescending, disdainful, patronizing, impertinent, impudent, saucy, snobbish, snobby, snooty, blusterous, blustery, boastful, bombastic, braggart, bragging, braggy, cocky, swaggering, vain, vainglorious, complacent, conceited, egocentric, egoistic, egotistic, hubristic, narcissistic, orgulous, prideful, proud, self-affected, self-applauding, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, self-flattering, self-loving, self-promoting, brash, forward, uninhibited, unreserved, extroverted, immodest
    opposite: humble, lowly, modest, unarrogant, unpretentious
    near: bashful, cowering, cringing, demure, diffident, introverted, mousy, overmodest, self-critical, self-doubting, sheepish, shrinking, shy, subdued, timid, acquiescent, compliant, deferential, meek, passive, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, unassuming, unobtrusive, yielding, quiet, reserved, retiring

  2. marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details

    "her dinner parties are typically stiff-necked affairs, more to be endured than enjoyed"

    similar: ceremonious, correct, decorous, formal, nice, proper, punctilious, starchy, stiff, stilted
    related: sober, solemn, stately, chivalrous, courtly, gallant, genteel, polished, refined, civil, courteous, polite, red-carpet
    opposite: casual, easygoing, informal, laid-back, unceremonious
    near: improper, indecorous, unmannerly, discourteous, impolite, rude

  3. sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion

    "obviously uninterested in hearing any excuses, the stiff-necked officer handed me my speeding ticket with a flourish"

    similar: adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hard-nosed, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful, deaf to reason
    related: anal-retentive, obsessive, wayward, wrongheaded, determined, hell-bent, inexorable, persistent, relentless, resolved, set, single-minded, steadfast, stouthearted, tenacious, unflinching, firm, hard-line, hard-shell, iron, severe, stern, strict, hidebound, narrow-minded, rigid, bloody-minded (chiefly British), cantankerous, contrary, cussed, contumacious, disobedient, froward, insubordinate, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, uncooperative, ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly, defiant, insurgent, mutinous, indomitable, invincible, unconquerable, confirmed, inveterate, unregenerate, demanding, exacting
    opposite: acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding
    near: docile, obedient, placable, submissive, tractable, accepting, persuadable, receptive, responsive, willing, governable, manageable, reasonable, temperate, slavish, subservient

Related Entry: Stiff-armed (verb)

Stiff-armed is a different word from Stiff. The synonyms below are for stiff-armed, not for stiff.

  1. to deliberately ignore or treat rudely

    "in his sad and lonely old age, he stiff-armed even once-beloved friends"

    similar: cold-shouldered, cut, high-hatted, slighted, snubbed, stiffed
    related: isolated, ostracized, brushed (aside or off), disdained, rebuffed, rejected, repelled, repulsed, scorned, spurned, disregarded, forgot, neglected, overlooked, overpassed, passed over, shrugged off

Related Entry: Stiff-arms (verb)

Stiff-arms is a different word from Stiff. The synonyms below are for stiff-arms, not for stiff.

  1. to deliberately ignore or treat rudely

    "in his sad and lonely old age, he stiff-armed even once-beloved friends"

    similar: cold-shoulders, cuts, high-hats, slights, snubs, stiffs
    related: isolates, ostracizes, brushes (aside or off), disdains, rebuffs, rejects, repels, repulses, scorns, spurns, disregards, forgets, neglects, overlooks, overpasses, passes over, shrugs off

Related Entry: Stiff-arming (verb)

Stiff-arming is a different word from Stiff. The synonyms below are for stiff-arming, not for stiff.

  1. to deliberately ignore or treat rudely

    "in his sad and lonely old age, he stiff-armed even once-beloved friends"

    similar: cold-shouldering, cutting, high-hatting, slighting, snubbing, stiffing
    related: isolating, ostracizing, brushing (aside or off), disdaining, rebuffing, rejecting, repelling, repulsing, scorning, spurning, disregarding, forgetting, neglecting, overlooking, overpassing, passing over, shrugging off

Related Entry: Bindle stiff (noun)

Bindle stiff is a different word from Stiff. The synonyms below are for bindle stiff, not for stiff.

  1. a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living

    "upon graduation from college he wandered around the country as a bindle stiff, naively believing that he was at one with the downtrodden"

    similar: bum, bummer, hobo, sundowner (Australian), swaggie (chiefly Australian), swagman (chiefly Australian), tramp, vagabond, vagrant
    related: drifter, roamer, transient, beggar, derelict, mendicant, panhandler, stiff, dodger, malingerer, shirker, slacker, gamine, ragamuffin, urchin, waif

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Stiff

The most common words with a similar meaning to Stiff:

Slang: blasted, blitzed, blotto, canned, hammered, juiced, loaded, oiled, potted, ripped, sloshed, smashed
Chiefly British: tiddly
British slang: nobble
Archaic: corse
British: bod
inflexible, rigid, stiffened, unyielding, bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, harsh, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, tough, trying, baroque, devilish, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, over-the-top, overdue, overextravagant

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Stiff

Words with the opposite meaning of Stiff:

flexible, floppy, pliable, pliant, supple, yielding, easy, light, soft, middling, moderate, modest, reasonable, temperate, flabby, spongy, squashy, squishy, graceful, suave, urbane, cheap, effortless, facile, mindless, simple, undemanding, casual, easygoing, informal

Related Words for Stiff

inelastic, sound, strong, brittle, crisp, dense, substantial, arthritic, rheumatic, nonelastic, nonmalleable, austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, biting, inclement, intemperate, wild, strict, stringent, agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched, crushing

Near Antonyms of Stiff

elastic, resilient, springy, stretchy, workable, malleable, plastic, semiflexible, droopy, flaccid, mushy, semisoft, lank, limber, limp, lissome, lithe, lithesome, willowy, comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug, agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant, peaceful, relaxing

Word Forms of Stiff

Inflections: stiffed, stiffing, stiffs

Derived words: stiffish (adjective), stiffly (adverb), stiffness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Stiff

Middle English stif, from Old English stīf; akin to Middle Dutch stijf stiff, Latin stipare to press together, Greek steibein to tread on

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Stiff

Words & Phrases Containing Stiff

stiff-arm, stiff-necked, stiff upper lip, stiff drink, bindle stiff

Frequently Asked Questions about Stiff

What does "Stiff" mean?

"Stiff" means not easily bent, rigid. As an an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: not easily bent, rigid. It has 12 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Stiff"?

Other words for "Stiff" include inflexible, rigid, stiffened, unyielding, bitter, brutal, burdensome and cruel. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Stiff" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Stiff"?

There are 466 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Stiff". Common alternatives include inflexible, rigid, stiffened, unyielding, bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating and grievous.

What is a slang word for "Stiff"?

Slang words for "Stiff" include blasted, blitzed, blotto, canned, hammered and juiced.

What is the opposite of "Stiff"?

Antonyms of "Stiff" include flexible, floppy, pliable, pliant, supple, yielding, easy and light. Near antonyms include elastic, resilient, springy and stretchy.

How do you use "Stiff" in a sentence?

Examples of "Stiff" in a sentence: "use a stiff piece of paper for the project"; "stiff winds"; "don't you think that's a pretty stiff fine for such a minor infraction?".

Is "Stiff" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Stiff" can be used as an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Stiff" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Stiff" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.