stiff
adjective /stɪf/
/stɪf/
(comparative stiffer, superlative stiffest)
Idioms - difficult to bend or move
- a sheet of stiff black cardboard
- Scrub away any residue with a stiff brush.
- The windows were stiff and she couldn't get them open.
Extra Examples- My trousers were getting stiff with mud.
- She lay stiff and still beside him.
- The captain stood as stiff as a board.
- The clothes were stiff with dust and grease.
- It was an old blanket, frayed and stiff with dirt.
- The brown hair was coarse and stiff.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- lie
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- with
- (as) stiff as a board
- when a person or a part of their body is stiff, their muscles hurt when they move them
- I'm really stiff after that bike ride yesterday.
- I've got a stiff neck.
Extra Examples- I've got a stiff neck from sleeping in a draught.
- You'll get stiff if you don't have a hot bath.
- My fingers had gone stiff with cold.
- My arm's gone all stiff.
- I was stiff from kneeling.
- He felt stiff all over.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- get
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- from
- thick; difficult to stir (= move around with a spoon)
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
- more difficult or severe than usual
- It was a stiff climb to the top of the hill.
- The company faces stiff competition from its rivals.
- The new proposals have met with stiff opposition.
- The local tribes initially offered stiff resistance to the invaders.
- Firms face stiff penalties for breaking the rules.
- a stiff breeze/wind (= one that blows strongly)
Extra Examples- The course represents a stiff test of a golfer's skills.
- in the face of some very stiff competition
- Their punishment seemed rather stiff.
- There are stiff fines for illegal dumping.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- (of a person or their behaviour) not friendly or relaxed
- The speech he made to welcome them was stiff and formal.
Extra Examples- His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.
- She was aware that her words sounded stiff.
- He had the accent and the stiff manner of a school house master.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- (informal) costing a lot or too much
- There's a stiff $30 entrance fee to the exhibition.
- [only before noun] strong; containing a lot of alcohol
- a stiff whisky
- ‘What you need is a stiff drink,’ he told her.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
difficult to bend/move
muscles
mixture
difficult/severe
not friendly
price
alcoholic drink
Word OriginOld English stīf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stijf.
Idioms
(keep) a stiff upper lip
- to keep calm and hide your feelings when you are in pain or in a difficult situation
- He was taught to keep a stiff upper lip and never to cry in public.
- Their reaction contrasts sharply with the stiff upper lip of the English.