stiffen

[stif-uh n]

See more synonyms for stiffen 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.

Origin of stiffen

First recorded in 1490–1500; stiff + -en¹

Related formso·ver·stiff·en, verbun·stiff·ened, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for stiffened

Contemporary Examples

The bearded volunteer, wearing an over-sized black flack jacket, said rebel resistance had stiffened.
Ukraine Rebels Boast About Troops and Tanks Coming from Russia
Jamie Dettmer
August 16, 2014
At the crucial moment, she stiffened George HW Bush's spine to fight to rescue Kuwait in the first Gulf War.
How Margaret Thatcher Saved Britain and Changed the World
David Frum
April 8, 2013
It stiffened Israeli backs even further against being conciliatory about starting talks with the Palestinians.
Fire the Mideast Policy Team!
Leslie H. Gelb
July 7, 2010
She stiffened in her chair and said, "Nobody takes this more personally than the president."
How I Got Interrogated by the Bushies
John Avlon
January 15, 2009

Historical Examples

They would have stiffened in astonishment could they have translated the "glare."
Quaint Courtships
Various
The short rest had stiffened them and brought home the weariness to their bones.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
They stiffened in surprise as he caught sight of the Leopard Woman.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
She stood looking at that outstretched, stiffened man, who was dying.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
Joshua Lake stiffened as he had stiffened so many times before.
The Big Tomorrow
Paul Lohrman

British Dictionary definitions for stiffened

stiffen

verb

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

Derived Formsstiffener, 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

Word Origin and History for stiffened

stiffen

v.

1590s, from stiff (adj.) + -en (1). Related: Stiffened; stiffening.

stiffen

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}stiffen

Related Words

Examples from the Web for stiffened

Contemporary Examples

The bearded volunteer, wearing an over-sized black flack jacket, said rebel resistance had stiffened.

At the crucial moment, she stiffened George HW Bush's spine to fight to rescue Kuwait in the first Gulf War.

It stiffened Israeli backs even further against being conciliatory about starting talks with the Palestinians.

She stiffened in her chair and said, "Nobody takes this more personally than the president."

Historical Examples

They would have stiffened in astonishment could they have translated the "glare."

The short rest had stiffened them and brought home the weariness to their bones.

They stiffened in surprise as he caught sight of the Leopard Woman.

She stood looking at that outstretched, stiffened man, who was dying.

Joshua Lake stiffened as he had stiffened so many times before.

stiffen

Word Origin and History for stiffened

stiffen

v.

Origin of stiffen