stiffen
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to become stiff.
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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.
verb
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to make or become stiff or stiffer
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(intr) to become suddenly tense or unyielding
Other Word Forms
- overstiffen verb
- stiffener noun
- unstiffened adjective
Etymology
Origin of stiffen
Explanation
To stiffen is to become stiff or unbending. If your legs stiffen during a long plane flight, you'll want to stretch them out once you land. You can stiffen something deliberately, like when you stiffen a package with cardboard to protect it in the mail. You can also stiffen in reaction to something: "The spooky creaking sounds upstairs made us stiffen in terror." The earliest sense of this verb was "make steadfast," from a now-obsolete meaning of stiff, "gain strength."
Vocabulary lists containing stiffen
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.
She has also vowed to stiffen prison sentences and to impose a state of emergency in areas worst hit by crime.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
This involves the buildup of dense, fibrous tissue around the tumor, made up of cells and proteins that stiffen and inflame the area.
From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026
Calling the eradication of extortion “one of the great challenges” facing Mexico, Sheinbaum pledged to bolster enforcement, stiffen penalties and increase safeguards for anyone receiving threats.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025
Nonetheless, this is an important move that can help stiffen the spines at other schools.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2025
Really, he just wanted to walk behind Finn and Emma so they couldn’t see his face and Chess wouldn’t have to stiffen it into a confident, cheerful, unconcerned mask.
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
