STIFF Synonyms: 607 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'stiff' distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words inflexible and rigid are common synonyms of stiff . While all three words mean "difficult to bend," stiff may apply to any degree of this condition. // stretching keeps your muscles from becoming stiff

Q: In what contexts can 'inflexible' take the place of 'stiff'?

The meanings of inflexible and stiff largely overlap; however, inflexible stresses lack of suppleness or pliability. // ski boots with inflexible soles

Q: When would 'rigid' be a good substitute for 'stiff'?

In some situations, the words rigid and stiff are roughly equivalent. However, rigid applies to something so stiff that it cannot be bent without breaking. // a rigid surfboard

stiff 1 of 3

adjective

ˈstif

Definition of stiff next

as in rigid

incapable of or highly resistant to bending use a stiff piece of paper for the project

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as in tough

difficult to endure stiff winds

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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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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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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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as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort we'll have a stiff climb to actually reach the summit

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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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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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stiff

2 of 3

noun

as in corpse

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

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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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stiff

3 of 3

verb

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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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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Synonym Chooser

How is the word stiff distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words inflexible and rigid are common synonyms of stiff. While all three words mean "difficult to bend," stiff may apply to any degree of this condition.

stretching keeps your muscles from becoming stiff

In what contexts can inflexible take the place of stiff?

The meanings of inflexible and stiff largely overlap; however, inflexible stresses lack of suppleness or pliability.

ski boots with inflexible soles

When would rigid be a good substitute for stiff?

In some situations, the words rigid and stiff are roughly equivalent. However, rigid applies to something so stiff that it cannot be bent without breaking.

a rigid surfboard

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stiff

Adjective

The stiff sole restricts the foot’s natural movement, specifically the joint at the big toe, called the the metatarsophalangeal, or MTP, joint. —

Jesse Rhoades, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2025 In a large bowl, beat cream with 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla until stiff peaks form. —

Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2025

Noun

Some clients are scared stiff of Trump coming into power, and some [are scared] of the Biden administration. —

Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 July 2024 Popular on Variety These additions — and moments in which ordinary working stiffs are given opportunities to take stage — deepen the critique of the hedonism and cult of celebrity that followed World War I and, it’s suggested, continue to plague us today. —

Bob Verini, Variety, 14 June 2024

Verb

Kraft stiff armed cornerback Darious Williams at the 30, picked up a big block from wideout Dontayvion Wicks and did the rest on his way to a 66-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 17-13 lead. —

Rob Reischel, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024 While sage grown as an annual usually won't turn woody, sages are semi-woody shrubs and will start to thicken and get woody and stiff over the years. —

Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stiff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff

Adjective

Don’t let the material scare you — these pants are made from a soft and stretchy material that’s far from rigid leather.

— Clara McMahon, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025
In his rejection of a rigid empiricism, moreover, Kingsley left room for intuitive and imaginative approaches to nature, and indeed to science, and refused to draw a hard line between human and nonhuman experience, instead viewing all creatures as belonging to a spectrum with no sharp boundaries.

— Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 29 Jan. 2025

Definition of rigid

Cite this Entry

Style

“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

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Last Updated: 6 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences

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Synonyms of stiff

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noun

verb

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