stiff
Hard to bend
The adjective stiff is roughly the opposite of flexible and shares meaning with rigid and inflexible.
When applied to parts of the body, stiff also suggests sore.
Stiff competition is strong and challenging.
If someone’s behavior is stiff, it is formal and unfriendly.
A stiff, informally, is a corpse.
To stiff someone is to give less than the amount owed or expected.
The adverb stiff is applied to a few adjectives to mean extremely (scared stiff, bored stiff, frozen stiff).
Unable to bend
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- hardFirm or demanding
- solidFirm matter state
- firmSolid or resolute
unbending · immovable · inelastic · fixed · sturdy · resistant · tough · hardened
Lacking fresh air
- buttoned-upFormally reserved, emotionally guarded
- starchyContaining complex carbohydrates
- primAffectedly proper and stiff
- properSocially appropriate
stilted · wooden · awkward · ceremonious · reserved · constrained · uncomfortable · unnatural
Firmly refusing to yield
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- unbendingRefusing to change position
- inflexibleUnable to bend
- adamantStubbornly refusing to yield
uncompromising · resolute · steadfast · intransigent · pigheaded · mulish · headstrong · willful
Having great physical power
- potentHaving great effect
- neatOrderly, or undiluted
- straightNot curved or crooked
- doubleTwice the amount
shot · hard · undiluted · booze · whiskey · spirits · liquor · slug
Physical structure, living thing
mortuary · morgue · rigor mortis · cold · lifeless · funeral · death · carrion
Painful or annoyed
- achyMildly, persistently painful
- tightFirmly stretched or fitting
- tenseStrained or nervous
- knottedTied with loops
cramped · painful · tender · locked · seized · pulled · strained · inflamed
Unpleasantly severe or rough
- steepRising at sharp angle
- heavyOf great mass
- excessiveSurpassing reasonable bounds
- punishingExtremely taxing or severe
brutal · tough · stringent · rigorous · demanding · onerous · burdensome · hefty
Uneasy and apprehensive
- anxiousTroubled by uncertainty
- uneasyTroubled, not calm
- edgyTense and irritable
- on edgeTense and anxious
uncomfortable · stressed · wound up · uptight · jittery · apprehensive · ill-at-ease · keyed up
inflexible
Unable to bend
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- hardFirm or demanding
- solidFirm matter state
firm · unbending · immovable · inelastic · fixed · sturdy · resistant · tough · hardened · reinforced
stuffy
Lacking fresh air
- buttoned-upFormally reserved, emotionally guarded
- starchyContaining complex carbohydrates
- primAffectedly proper and stiff
proper · stilted · wooden · awkward · ceremonious · reserved · constrained · uncomfortable · unnatural · self-conscious
obstinate
Firmly refusing to yield
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- unbendingRefusing to change position
- inflexibleUnable to bend
adamant · uncompromising · resolute · steadfast · intransigent · pigheaded · mulish · headstrong · willful · dogged
strong
Having great physical power
double · shot · hard · undiluted · booze · whiskey · spirits · liquor · slug · belt
body
Physical structure, living thing
remains · mortuary · morgue · rigor mortis · cold · lifeless · funeral · death · carrion · carcass
sore
Painful or annoyed
knotted · cramped · painful · tender · locked · seized · pulled · strained · inflamed · fatigued
harsh
Unpleasantly severe or rough
punishing · brutal · tough · stringent · rigorous · demanding · onerous · burdensome · hefty · exorbitant
nervous
Uneasy and apprehensive
on edge · uncomfortable · stressed · wound up · uptight · jittery · apprehensive · ill-at-ease · keyed up · restless
sell
Transfer for payment
stable · squash · submission · suplex · work · heat · draw · post · mark · pop
- body language descriptorsopen, closed, tense, relaxed, slouched
- body part traitsbent, bony, bruised, calloused, crooked
- fabric texturessoft, smooth, rough, silky, fuzzy
- paper qualitiessmooth, rough, glossy, matte, textured
- sensationstaste, touch, smell, sound, pain
- tightnesstight, taut, snug, constricting, compressed
- scared stiffImmobilized by extreme fright
- frozen stiffImmobilized by extreme cold
- stiff neckCervical muscle tightness
- bored stiffExtremely uninterested and restless
- stiff upper lipControlled emotional restraint
- stiff peakBeaten whites that stand
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