stiffen

[ stif-uhn ]

/ ˈstɪf ən /

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See synonyms for: stiffen / stiffened / stiffening on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to make stiff.

verb (used without object)

to become stiff.

to become suddenly tense, rigid, or taut, as in bracing oneself for or drawing back from shock, fear, or displeasure: He stiffened, expecting to hear the worst.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of stiffen

First recorded in 1490–1500; stiff + -en¹

OTHER WORDS FROM stiffen

o·ver·stiff·en, verbun·stiff·ened, adjective

Words nearby stiffen

Stiegel, Stieglitz, stiff, stiff-arm, stiff as a board, stiffen, stiffener, stiff-necked, stiffness, stiff upper lip, stiffy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stiffen in a sentence

When muscles contract and stiffen up, they can put pressure on nearby nerves.
Best massage chair: Take relaxation to a new level right in your living room|Irena Collaku|August 13, 2021|Popular-Science
From Charlottesville to Capitol Hill, folks bracing for the worst — workers and residents who lived through violence and bloodshed — stiffened and waited for the metal manifestations of so much American hatred to be removed.
Fences aren’t freedom and statues aren’t history|Petula Dvorak|July 12, 2021|Washington Post
Our skin sags, our hair goes gray, joints stiffen and creak—all signs that our components—that is, proteins and other biomolecules—aren’t what they used to be.
Genetic tricks of the longest-lived animals|Ars Staff|May 31, 2021|Ars Technica
GOP-backed bills in various statehouses aim to ban ballot drop boxes, limit voting periods, restrict absentee voting or stiffen requirements for voter identification.
More than 100 corporate executives hold call to discuss halting donations and investments to fight controversial voting bills|Todd Frankel|April 11, 2021|Washington Post

In December, Congress rewrote aviation safety laws in an effort to stiffen the regulator’s oversight of the company.
Airlines ground some 737 Max jets after Boeing discloses electrical problem|Ian Duncan|April 9, 2021|Washington Post
The embrace caused Susskind to stiffen up “like an unwilling virgin,” he later said.
Nikita Khrushchev, Talk Show Guest|Stephen Battaglio|November 20, 2010|DAILY BEAST
She would break down to some degree, and then stiffen back up.
The Copycat Killer Mom|Harriet McLeod|August 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Black Hood took two steps toward her and saw her gun wrist stiffen.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Jessie saw the dark eyes blaze and the stern face of the countess stiffen with fury.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
Beardsley saw her stiffen; there was a change across her face, a struggle beneath the eyes.
We're Friends, Now|Henry Hasse
From where he sat watching—curious to see what Cash would do—Bud saw him flinch and stiffen as a man does under pain.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
There is also in large bridges wind-bracing to stiffen the structure against horizontal forces.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for stiffen

stiffen

/ (ˈstɪfən) /

verb

to make or become stiff or stiffer

(intr) to become suddenly tense or unyielding

Derived forms of stiffen

stiffener, noun

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

stiffen

Origin of stiffen

OTHER WORDS FROM stiffen

Words nearby stiffen

Words related to stiffen

How to use stiffen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stiffen

Derived forms of stiffen