- (superl.) Not natural and easy; formal; constrained; affected; starched; as, stiff behavior; a stiff style.
- (superl.) Firm; strong; violent; difficult to oppose; as, a stiff gale or breeze.
- (superl.) Not easily subdued; unyielding; stubborn; obstinate; pertinacious; as, a stiff adversary.
- (superl.) Very large, strong or costly; powerful; as, a stiff charge; a stiff price.
- (superl.) Harsh; disagreeable; severe; hard to bear.
- (superl.) Not easily bent; not flexible or pliant; not limber or flaccid; rigid; firm; as, stiff wood, paper, joints.
- (superl.) Bearing a press of canvas without careening much; as, a stiff vessel; -- opposed to crank.
- (superl.) Not liquid or fluid; thick and tenacious; inspissated; neither soft nor hard; as, the paste is stiff.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). stiff. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/stiff/definitions/2066476 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "stiff" http://smartdefine.org/stiff/definitions/2066476 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, stiff, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/stiff/definitions/2066476>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "stiff" 28 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/stiff/definitions/2066476> |