1
as in rigid
incapable of or highly resistant to bending
use a stiff piece of paper for the project
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tough
difficult to endure
stiff winds
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3
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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4
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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5
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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6
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
we'll have a stiff climb to actually reach the summit
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7
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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8
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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1
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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2
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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1
2
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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stiff
Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Symptoms vary among people but can include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion and loss of balance.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The boar bristles are bendy to move with hair but still stiff enough to detangle knots.
—Olivia Cigliano, Footwear News, 12 June 2025
Tim Lammers, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Even while stunt workers are getting more recognition, there are still those in the industry who see them merely as working stiffs.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Adjective
In another lay the stiff, decomposing carcass of a feral hog.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Symptoms vary among people but can include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion and loss of balance.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
And for the legions of blue-collar stiffs just like him.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The boar bristles are bendy to move with hair but still stiff enough to detangle knots.
—Olivia Cigliano, Footwear News, 12 June 2025
Noun
Mickey 17 was a stiff in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, earning, per The Numbers, $19 million from 3,807 theaters.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Even while stunt workers are getting more recognition, there are still those in the industry who see them merely as working stiffs.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff
Adjective
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Attackers see these rigid, unchanging patterns as roadmaps.—
Forrester,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Compared with Lali, who has symmetrical posture and fluid movements, Nini is like an elderly, arthritic human—crooked, rigid, languid, tense.—
Tao Lin,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Even if increasing competition and financial obstruction have influenced summer recruitment, making this season’s challenges tougher, the confidence in Unai Emery and Villa’s football department remains unerring.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Unlike Trump, they aren’t charmed by the Kremlin’s tough guy.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
One position scrutinized in a new state audit of excessive spending by former University of Florida President Ben Sasse is the long-distance position created for former Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.—
Vivian Jones,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
From hyperloops to solar roofs to trillion-dollar savings from federal budget cuts by DOGE, Musk has developed a reputation for excessive boasts and telling outright whoppers.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
-
The five-year commemoration of that day is particularly hard for Jennifer, who usually shies away from talking publicly about her loss.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
But beneath the glittering headlines lies the uncomfortable truth: the advertised jackpot is not the real prize, the odds are stacked against players, and the system relies heavily on the very people most vulnerable to financial strain.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
An uncomfortable Lydia attempted to change the subject, but her dad kept going.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Palace’s recruitment strategy depends on selling players, however difficult such deals are to stomach.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The Chamber said the cancellation was a difficult decision but ultimately the best course of action.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Yet these benefits will primarily help those that already have access to a bank—and not the more than one billion that still lack access to formal financial systems.—
Sopnendu Mohanty,
Fortune,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Kobe never laid out the Mamba Mentality as a formal, step-by-step framework.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In his memoir, Perry recalled how Aniston was the first costar to confront him about his troubles despite him never having been drunk on set.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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In August 2024, the nursing home was penalized when federal surveyors found that two residents were leaving the nursing home without signing out and then returning drunk.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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