1
a
: not easily bent : rigid
a stiff collar
b
: lacking in suppleness or flexibility
stiff muscles
c
: impeded in movement
—used of a mechanism
a truck's stiff suspension
d
2
3
: hard fought
stiff competition
4
5
: of a dense or glutinous consistency : thick
7
: not easily heeled over by an external force (such as the wind)
a stiff ship
stiffed; stiffing; stiffs
1
a
: to refuse to pay or tip
stiffed the waiter
b
: cheat
stiffed him in a business deal
c
: stick sense 7a
stiffed us with the bar bill
2
: snub sense 3
stiffed sportswriters after the game
: to fail commercially
the movie stiffed at the box office
Synonyms
Examples of stiff in a Sentence
Adjective
When I got out of bed this morning my back was stiff as a board.
Beat the egg whites until they are stiff.
Noun
That poor stiff never gets a break.
They have the kind of luxuries the average working stiff can't afford.
Verb
the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events
Recent Examples on the Web
NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
In the case of the Vanquish, that starts with a chassis that is a stunning 75 percent stiffer in lateral rigidity at the front axle, when compared to the DBS.
—Dan Carney, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The 45,000-piece collection of stiff-looking Trumps in a variety of poses and costumes—like the one shown above—have seen a 445% increase in sales, about $186,000, over the past 24 hours, according to CryptoSlam.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Crypto, 31 Mar. 2023
Al Pacino, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Yes, the central gimmick of this movie (which is clever) hinges on how the agents and assassins who do the real work are the working-class stiffs who aren't plucked from the Ivy League.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2024
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 July 2024
The 100 percent carbon shaft of the Storm 2 is strong enough to withstand freakish plants that would normally end in snapping, light enough (at 75 grams per meter) to prevent fatigue after repetitive motion, and stiff enough to propel us forward.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stiff 
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Adjective
If these companies don't make their products here in the USA, then they will be forced to pay a very stiff tariff.
—NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
In the case of the Vanquish, that starts with a chassis that is a stunning 75 percent stiffer in lateral rigidity at the front axle, when compared to the DBS.
—Dan Carney, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Adverb
For many of us, our first exposure to death involved an animal: the firefly in the Mason jar, the bird beneath the window, the deer beside the highway, the beloved cat gone gaunt with age, curled up stiff below the basement stairs.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The 45,000-piece collection of stiff-looking Trumps in a variety of poses and costumes—like the one shown above—have seen a 445% increase in sales, about $186,000, over the past 24 hours, according to CryptoSlam.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Crypto, 31 Mar. 2023
Noun
Cookie returned to his post at the bar, where seven or eight working stiffs were lined up, and the two women stood in front of that big, wide window in broad daylight and began passionately kissing.
—Al Pacino, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Yes, the central gimmick of this movie (which is clever) hinges on how the agents and assassins who do the real work are the working-class stiffs who aren't plucked from the Ivy League.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2024
Verb
The dialogue was ham-handed, the performances stiff, the villain lame, the story stupid.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 July 2024
The 100 percent carbon shaft of the Storm 2 is strong enough to withstand freakish plants that would normally end in snapping, light enough (at 75 grams per meter) to prevent fatigue after repetitive motion, and stiff enough to propel us forward.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stiff
Dictionary Entries Near stiff
Cite this Entry
“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stiff. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stiff
1 of 3 adjective1
a
: not easily bent : rigid
b
: not easily moved
stiff muscles
stiff valves
2
a
: marked by moral courage
b
: not easy or graceful in manner
3
: hard fought
a stiff fight
4
a
: exerting great force : strong
a stiff wind
b
: potent sense 2b
a stiff dose
5
: not flowing easily : thick
beat egg whites until stiff
6
a
: harsh sense 3, severe
a stiff penalty
b
: rugged
stiff terrain
7
: expensive sense 2, steep
a stiff price
stiffly
adverb
stiffness
noun
stiff
2 of 3 adverb1
: in a stiff manner
2
: to a stiff state or condition
frozen stiff
3
: to an extreme degree
bored stiff
Medical Definition
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