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definitions

stiff-necked

[stif-nekt]
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adjective
  1. having a stiff neck; having torticollis.
  2. haughty and obstinate; refractory.

Origin of stiff-necked

First recorded in 1520–30
Related formsstiff·neck·ed·ly [stif-nek-id-lee, -nekt-lee] /ˈstɪfˈnɛk ɪd li, -ˈnɛkt li/, adverbstiff·neck·ed·ness, noun

Synonyms for stiff-necked

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2. stubborn, obstinate, intractable, willful, pigheaded.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for stiff-necked

tough, harsh, flinty, hard-nosed, strict, rigid, grim, steely, tenacious, unshakable, single-minded, intractable, steadfast, willful, perverse, persistent, ornery, inflexible, determined, headstrong

Examples from the Web for stiff-necked

Historical Examples of stiff-necked

  • Judge Granger—that inflated, stiff-necked, egotistical bag of conceit!

    Mixed Faces

    Roy Norton

  • They treated them stiff-necked food-slingers like they was a lot of wooden Indians.

    Shorty McCabe

    Sewell Ford

  • You flattered yourself you were going to get riches, but your daughters were too stiff-necked.

    Russian Fairy Tales

    W. R. S. Ralston

  • The old Alroy blood flows in his veins, a stiff-necked race.

    Alroy

    Benjamin Disraeli

  • This was a new aspect of the stiff-necked young teamster they had known.

    The Huntress

    Hulbert Footner

British Dictionary definitions for stiff-necked

stiff-necked

adjective
  1. haughtily stubborn or obstinate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012