noun

• 1Inability to move easily and without pain.

  ‘stretching exercises ease stiffness in the legs’

  More example sentences

  • ‘headache and neck stiffness’
  • ‘In January 1984, she was experiencing pain and stiffness in her right hip.’
  • ‘Discomfort and stiffness are usually worse early in the day and are eased by movement.’
  • ‘Certain red flags—like stiffness on only one side—can tip physical therapists to trouble in a dancer's lower back.’
  • ‘A build-up of toxins in the organs, muscles, and tissues can lead to stiffness, sluggishness, and a general lack of enthusiasm or energy.’
  • ‘Fever, headache, and stiffness are common flu symptoms.’

  1. 1.1The quality of being firm and difficult to bend or move.
     ‘the stiffness of the cotton’
     More example sentences

     • ‘the stiffness of a boot affects the mobility of the foot’
     • ‘Earth strengthened with cement was used to form sundried bricks, which were laid in walls two bricks wide to enhance stiffness.’
     • ‘A complex cable configuration increases torsional stiffness for structures in offshore locations.’
     • ‘Using conventional framing, the stiffness is based on the height.’
     • ‘The saw's telescoping pole is oval-shaped to allow for stiffness needed to cut with control, yet it is very lightweight.’
     • ‘This design technique identifies critical variables, such as the thickness or stiffness of the material at a given location.’
  2. 1.2The quality of not being relaxed or friendly.
     ‘one flaw is the scholarly stiffness of the academics’
     More example sentences

     • ‘there is none of the stiffness of formal restaurants’
     • ‘The party is concerned about the stiffness of the vice president.’
     • ‘The director exaggerates the stiffness of the characters and steers clear of any emotional connection between them.’
     • ‘The carnival feeling contrasted comfortingly with the stiffness of the state visit, as if we were reclaiming London for ourselves.’
     • ‘We laugh at the clothes and hairstyles of the 1970s and mock the stiffness of the 1940s.’
     • ‘The dominant idea was to break away from the ponderous stiffness of the older journalism, to brighten the paper by a more lively presentation of the news.’

• 2The quality of being severe or strong.

  ‘no mean feat given the stiffness of the competition’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The stiffness of the prescribed penalty would alone point to the gravity of the offence.’
  • ‘As the amounts of the drug rise, so does the stiffness of the punishment.’
  • ‘Surprised by the stiffness of the sentence, the men returned to work while their local officials took up the issue with the union's executive.’
  • ‘The unprecedented stiffness of the reprimand is underlined by the fact that these two countries have long enjoyed one of the closest and most cordial ties.’
  • ‘Both stellar field marshals left that school with low marks, which may say quite a lot for the stiffness of its entrance exam.’