stiffness
Americannoun
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the state or condition of being rigid or firm.
The bicycle’s frame is well balanced, with excellent stiffness throughout.
Conventional wisdom has been that longer knife blades need more carbon for stiffness.
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the state or condition of being unable to move easily.
Proper stretching will help you avoid joint stiffness and muscle tension after a workout.
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lack of ease or grace.
The teacher offers advice on how to get over the stiffness or outright paralysis that can creep in when people make writing into a “big deal.”
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the state or condition of being rigidly formal.
There was a stiffness to the encounter, but the ambassador was not unfriendly.
If representatives meet only under official circumstances, a degree of stiffness is introduced which does not allow people to exchange ideas as freely.
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the state or condition of being excessive, difficult, or severe.
The council expressed concern about the stiffness of the fines and sentences for such minor infractions.
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(of soil) the state or condition of being compact; density.
A variety of sediment samples are needed in order to recover different types of sediment, mainly based on their stiffness.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stiffness
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While cerebral palsy is not degenerative, as Vicky ages she experiences increased stiffness, fatigue and secondary health challenges.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
By then the shoulder and back stiffness that shortened his first season had returned, and Lesch was rocked.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Knee braces ranked highest overall, showing strong results in reducing pain, improving joint function, and easing stiffness.
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
It leads to ongoing pain and stiffness in the knee joint, making everyday movement more difficult.
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
Everyone pretended the kitchen battle of the night before hadn’t happened, but a stiffness hung in the air, making it hard for things to move around, even words.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
