Synonyms

stiffen

American

[stif-uhn] / ˈstɪf ən /

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.

stiffen British

/ ˈstɪfən /

verb

to make or become stiff or stiffer
(intr) to become suddenly tense or unyielding

"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

Other Word Forms

overstiffen verb
stiffener noun
unstiffened adjective

Etymology

Origin of stiffen

First recorded in 1490–1500; stiff + -en ¹

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.

The barrels -- bound tightly with rope, their fabric skins stiffened and darkened with lacquer -- inevitably recall the Gulf's vast hydrocarbon wealth.

From Barron's

Dad has stiffened in his seat, his eyes scanning the road ahead.

From Literature

Rowan felt Marlie stiffen and saw her cheek begin to burn red.

From Literature

Johnson’s move appears to have stiffened investors’ spines.

From Barron's

She has also vowed to stiffen prison sentences and to impose a state of emergency in areas worst hit by crime.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023