stiffness
/ˈstɪfnəs
/noun [mass noun]
1Inability to move easily and without pain: stretching exercises ease stiffness in the legs headache and neck stiffness...
- In January 1984, she was experiencing pain and stiffness in her right hip.
- Discomfort and stiffness are usually worse early in the day and are eased by movement.
- Certain red flags—like stiffness on only one side—can tip physical therapists to trouble in a dancer's lower back.
1.1The quality of being firm and difficult to bend or move: the stiffness of the cotton the stiffness of a boot affects the mobility of the foot...
- Earth strengthened with cement was used to form sundried bricks, which were laid in walls two bricks wide to enhance stiffness.
- A complex cable configuration increases torsional stiffness for structures in offshore locations.
- Using conventional framing, the stiffness is based on the height.
1.2The quality of not being relaxed or friendly: one flaw is the scholarly stiffness of the academics there is none of the stiffness of formal restaurants...
- The party is concerned about the stiffness of the vice president.
- The director exaggerates the stiffness of the characters and steers clear of any emotional connection between them.
- The carnival feeling contrasted comfortingly with the stiffness of the state visit, as if we were reclaiming London for ourselves.
2The quality of being severe or strong: no mean feat given the stiffness of the competition...
- The stiffness of the prescribed penalty would alone point to the gravity of the offence.
- As the amounts of the drug rise, so does the stiffness of the punishment.
- Surprised by the stiffness of the sentence, the men returned to work while their local officials took up the issue with the union's executive.