Definition

1. Noun:
   • The physical property of being rigid, inflexible, or hard to bend: The state of lacking flexibility or ease of movement.
   • Muscular rigidity or soreness: A condition where muscles are tight, tense, or painful, often after exertion or upon waking.
   • Formality in manner or behavior: A lack of ease, naturalness, or relaxation in social conduct; awkwardness or severity.
   • Firmness of purpose or opinion: Resoluteness or unyielding determination.

Examples of Usage

• Physical Property:
  • The stiffness of the new leather made the boots uncomfortable.
  • Engineers tested the stiffness of the steel beam.
• Muscular Condition:
  • After the long hike, she felt stiffness in her legs.
  • He complained of neck stiffness from sleeping in an awkward position.
• Formality in Manner:
  • There was a noticeable stiffness in his greeting, suggesting he was nervous.
  • The diplomat's stiffness made the conversation feel very formal.
• Firmness of Purpose:
  • She faced the criticism with remarkable stiffness of resolve.

Advanced Usage

• "Stiffness of the upper lip": An idiomatic reference to maintaining a stern or unemotional composure, related to the phrase "stiff upper lip."
  • His legendary stiffness of the upper lip hid his true feelings during the crisis.

Variants and Related Words

• Stiff (adj): Rigid, not easily bent; formal in manner; severe.
  • A stiff cardboard.
  • A stiff penalty.
• Stiffen (verb): To become or make stiff.
  • The fabric will stiffen when starched.
• Stiffly (adv): In a stiff manner.
  • He bowed stiffly.

Synonyms

• Rigidity: The inability to bend or be forced out of shape.
• Inflexibility: Unwillingness to change or compromise; rigidity.
• Formality: Adherence to conventional rules and ceremony.
• Tenseness: The state of being tense, especially in muscles.
• Severity: Strictness, harshness.

Related Phrases

• Stiffness of character: Severity or unyielding nature in one's personality.
  • His stiffness of character made him a strict but fair judge.
• Joint stiffness: A medical term for reduced range of motion in a joint.
  • Arthritis often causes joint stiffness in the morning.

Related Idioms

• Stiff as a board: Extremely stiff and inflexible.
  • The old parchment was as stiff as a board.
• (Keep a) stiff upper lip: To remain resolute and unemotional in the face of adversity.
  • Despite the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip.

Noun

1. excessive sternness
   • severity of character
   • the harshness of his punishment was inhuman
   • the rigors of boot camp
2. the inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment)
3. firm resoluteness in purpose or opinion or action
   • a charming host without any touch of stiffness or pomposity
4. the property of moving with pain or difficulty
   • he awoke with a painful stiffness in his neck
5. the physical property of being inflexible and hard to bend