Sign Up Sign In 中文

Meaning ofstiffin English

stiff

us//stɪf//uk//stɪf//

Pluralstiffs
Comparative Adjectivestiffer
Superlative Adjectivestiffest
Past Tensestiffed
Participle Verbstiffing
Third Person Singularstiffs

Definitions

Adjective
1. rigid; hard to bend or flex
2. formal; unrelaxed in behavior or demeanor
  The manager was stiff during the meeting, avoiding small talk.
3. causing pain due to strain; rigid from exercise
  After the long run, her muscles felt stiff and sore.
4. inflexible; rigidly enforced (policies)
  The new policy is stiff and allows no exceptions.
5. unreasonably harsh; severe
  The judge gave a stiff sentence to the convicted criminal.
6. deceased; no longer living
  The coroner reported that the body was stiff and cold.
7. erect; firm (in a sexual context)
  The flag stood stiff in the wind, its pole firmly planted.
8. thick; difficult to stir (density)
  The mixture was stiff and hard to mix with a spoon.
9. aerated to stand upright (whipped foods)
  The whipped cream was stiff and held its shape well.
10. unstable equation (requiring small steps)
  The engineer had to solve a stiff equation that required small steps to find the solution.
11. remaining upright (nautical)
  The mast of the sailboat remained stiff in the strong wind, keeping the sail upright.
12. a shot close to the flagstick
  The golfer hit a stiff shot that landed near the hole.
13. delivered with excess force (wrestling)
  The wrestler was penalized for a stiff tackle that injured his opponent.
14. causing muscle pain; from overuse
  After a long hike, her legs felt stiff from the intense exercise.
15. unstable without small step size (math equations)
  The mathematician struggled to solve the stiff differential equation.
16. landing close to the target (golf)
  The professional golfer hit a stiff approach shot that stopped near the pin.
Noun
1. an ordinary person (no distinction); average male
  The police officer tried to blend in with the stiff in the crowd.
2. a deceived person (mark, pigeon) in a scam
  The con artist targeted a stiff and tricked him into giving away his money.
3. a dead body (cadaver)
  The medical students practiced their surgical skills on a stiff in the laboratory.
4. a commercial failure (flop)
  The new movie was a stiff and lost money at the box office.
5. a person who skips payment (dining); cheats
  The restaurant owner hated dealing with a stiff who always tried to leave without paying.
6. a customer who withholds tips
  The waiter was disappointed when the stiff left without giving a tip.
7. a risky blackjack hand; may bust
  The gambler was dealt a stiff and had to decide whether to hit or stand.
8. forged financial documents; illegal negociables
  The police discovered a set of stiff documents in the suspect's office.
9. a secret note in prison
  The prisoner received a stiff from his friend, which contained a plan for escape.
10. an ordinary, unskilled individual (working class)
  The charity organization helped a stiff who had lost his job due to the pandemic.
Verb
1. to depart without paying; abandoning debt
  The dishonest customer tried to stiff the restaurant by leaving without paying the bill.
2. to cheat or deceive someone; unfair treatment
  The scammer tried to stiff the tourist by selling him a fake watch.
3. to give a small tip; showing little appreciation
  The waiter felt unhappy when the customer stiffed him with a very small tip.
4. to kill someone (informal)
  The hitman was hired to stiff the target in a quiet alley.
5. to fail or be unsuccessful; lacking success
  The new business venture was expected to stiff and go bankrupt within a year.
6. to give a small tip; show little generosity
  The customer stiffed the waiter with a very small tip.
Adverb
1. with great force; strongly (wind)
  The wind blew stiff and made it difficult to walk.

Compounds / Phrases