Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Stiff
Stiff
,Adj.
[
Com
par.
Stiffer
; sup
erl.
Stiffest
.] 1.
Not easily bent; not flexible or pliant; not limber or flaccid; rigid; firm;
as,
. stiff
wood, paper, joints[They] rising on
The mid aerial sky.
stiff
pennons, towerThe mid aerial sky.
Milton.
2.
Not liquid or fluid; thick and tenacious; inspissated; neither soft nor hard;
as, the paste is
. stiff
3.
Firm; strong; violent; difficult to oppose;
as, a
. stiff
gale or breeze4.
Not easily subdued; unyielding; stubborn; obstinate; pertinacious;
as, a
. stiff
adversaryIt is a shame to stand
stiff
in a foolish argument. Jer. Taylor.
A war ensues: the Cretans own their cause,
Stiff
to defend their hospitable laws. Dryden.
5.
Not natural and easy; formal; constrained; affected; starched;
as,
. stiff
behavior; a stiff
styleThe French are open, familiar, and talkative; the Italians
stiff
, ceremonious, and reserved. Addison.
6.
Harsh; disagreeable; severe; hard to bear.
[Obs. or Colloq.]
“This is stiff news.” Shak.
7.
(Naut.)
Bearing a press of canvas without careening much;
as, a
; – opposed to stiff
vesselcrank
. Totten.
8.
Very large, strong, or costly; powerful;
as, a
. stiff
charge; a stiff
price[Slang]
Stiff neck
, a condition of the neck such that the head can not be moved without difficulty and pain.
Syn. – Rigid; inflexible; strong; hardly; stubborn; obstinate; pertinacious; harsh; formal; constrained; affected; starched; rigorous.
Webster 1828 Edition
Stiff
STIFF
,Adj.
1.
Not easily bent; not flexible or pliant; not flaccid; rigid; applicable to any substance; as stiff wood; stiff paper; cloth stiff with starch; a limb stiff with frost.They, rising on stiff pinions, tower the mid aerial sky.
2.
Not liquid or fluid; thick and tenacious; inspissated; not soft nor hard. Thus melted metals grow stiff as they cool; they are stiff before they are hard. The paste is too stiff, or not stiff enough.3.
Strong; violent; impetuous in motion; as in seamens language, a stiff gale or breeze.4.
Hardy; stubborn; not easily subdued.How stiff is my vile sense!
5.
Obstinate; pertinacious; firm in perseverance or resistance.It is a shame to stand stiff in a foolish argument.
A war ensues; the Cretans own their cause, stiff to defend their hospitable laws.
6.
Harsh; formal; constrained; not natural and easy; as a stiff formal style.7.
Formal in manner; constrained; affected; starched; not easy or natural; as stiff behavior.The French are open, familiar and talkative; the Italians stiff, ceremonious and reserved.
8.
Strongly maintained, or asserted with good evidence.This is stiff news.
9.
In seamens language, a stiff vessel is one that will bear sufficient sail without danger of oversetting.Definition 2024
stiff
stiff
English
Adjective
stiff (comparative stiffer, superlative stiffest)
- (of an object) Rigid, hard to bend, inflexible.
- 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter IX”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
- “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
-
- (figuratively, of policies and rules and their application and enforcement) Inflexible; rigid.
- (of a person) Formal in behavior; unrelaxed.
- (colloquial) Harsh, severe.
- He was eventually caught, and given a stiff fine.
- (of muscles or parts of the body) Painful as a result of excessive or unaccustomed exercise.
- My legs are stiff after climbing that hill yesterday.
- Potent.
- a stiff drink; a stiff dose; a stiff breeze.
- Dead, deceased.
- (of a ****) Erect.
- (cooking, of whipping cream or egg whites) Beaten until so aerated that they stand up straight on their own.
- beat the egg whites until they are stiff
Quotations
- For usage examples of this term, see Citations:stiff.
Derived terms
Translations
of an object, rigid, hard to bend, inflexible
|
figuratively: of policies and rules and their application and enforcement
|
of a person, formal in behavior, unrelaxed
colloquial: harsh, severe
of muscles, or parts of the body
Noun
stiff (plural stiffs)
- An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff.
- A Working Stiff's Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember was published in 2003.
- A person who is deceived, as a mark or pigeon in a swindle.
- She convinced the stiff to go to her hotel room, where her henchman was waiting to rob him.
- (slang) A cadaver, a dead person.
- (US) A person who leaves (especially a restaurant) without paying the bill.
- (blackjack) Any hard hand where it is possible to exceed 21 by drawing an additional card.
Locutions
- Beat the egg whites until stiff.
See also
- bindlestiff
- See also Wikisaurus:corpse, Wikisaurus:body
Translations
average person, usually male
person who is deceived
slang: cadaver, dead person
US: person who leaves without paying the bill
|
Verb
stiff (third-person singular simple present stiffs, present participle stiffing, simple past and past participle stiffed)
- To fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.
- Realizing he had forgotten his wallet, he stiffed the taxi driver when the cab stopped for a red light.
- 1946, William Foote Whyte, Industry and Society, page 129
- We asked one girl to explain how she felt when she was "stiffed." She said, You think of all the work you've done and how you've tried to please [them…].
- to cheat someone
- 1992, Stephen Birmingham, Shades of Fortune, page 451
- You see, poor Nonie really was stiffed by Adolph in his will. He really stiffed her, Rose, and I really wanted to right that wrong.
- 1992, Stephen Birmingham, Shades of Fortune, page 451
- to tip ungenerously
- 2007, Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before, page 154
- Then he stiffed the waiter with a cheap tip.
- 2007, Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before, page 154
Translations
to fail to pay money one owes
|
|
to cheat someone
|
to tip ungenerously