stiffly

/'stifli/

Thân thiện

He stood stiffly at attention during the ceremony.

Definition

1. Adverb:
   • In a rigid or inflexible manner: Describes movement or posture that lacks ease, fluidity, or natural bend.
   • In a formal, cold, or constrained manner: Describes behavior or interaction that is not relaxed, friendly, or spontaneous.

Usage and Examples

• Describing physical rigidity:
  • He walked stiffly after the long run. (His movements were not fluid or relaxed.)
  • The old doll's joints had rusted, so its arms moved stiffly. (The arms moved in a rigid, jerky way.)
• Describing formal or unyielding behavior:
  • She nodded stiffly in acknowledgment. (Her gesture was formal and lacked warmth.)
  • The two diplomats shook hands stiffly. (The handshake was constrained and not friendly.)

Advanced Usage

• "To stand/stiffly to attention": To stand in a very rigid, formal, and upright posture, often as a sign of respect or military discipline.
  • The soldiers stood stiffly to attention as the general passed.
• Used to emphasize an unnatural lack of movement or grace.
  • The actor delivered the lines stiffly, without any emotion.

Variants and Related Words

• Stiff (adjective): Not easily bent or changed in shape; rigid. Also, severe or strong.
  • A stiff breeze. / A stiff penalty.
• Stiffness (noun): The quality or condition of being stiff.
  • The stiffness in his back made it hard to bend over.

Synonyms

• Rigidly: In a stiff, unyielding manner.
• Formally: In a ceremonious or constrained way.
• Woodenly: In a stiff, awkward, or unnatural manner (like wood).

Antonyms

• Fluidly: In a smooth, graceful manner.
• Flexibly: In a way that bends easily.
• Casually: In a relaxed, informal manner.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Stiffly polite": Behaving with formal politeness that seems cold or unfriendly.
  • Their conversation was stiffly polite, revealing the tension between them.
• "Hold oneself stiffly": To carry one's body in a tense, rigid posture.
  • Facing the critics, he held himself stiffly throughout the interview.

Học thuật

Adverb

1. in a rigid manner
   • the body was rigidly erect
   • he sat bolt upright
2. in a stiff manner
   • his hands lay stiffly

Từ đồng nghĩa

• rigidly
• bolt
• stiff