‘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.’
1.1The quality of being firm and difficult to bend or move.
‘the stiffness of the cotton’
‘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.’
1.2The quality of not being relaxed or friendly.
‘one flaw is the scholarly stiffness of the academics’
‘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’
‘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.’
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