stiffness
Americannoun
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the state or condition of being rigid or firm.
The bicycle’s frame is well balanced, with excellent stiffness throughout.
Conventional wisdom has been that longer knife blades need more carbon for stiffness.
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the state or condition of being unable to move easily.
Proper stretching will help you avoid joint stiffness and muscle tension after a workout.
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lack of ease or grace.
The teacher offers advice on how to get over the stiffness or outright paralysis that can creep in when people make writing into a “big deal.”
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the state or condition of being rigidly formal.
There was a stiffness to the encounter, but the ambassador was not unfriendly.
If representatives meet only under official circumstances, a degree of stiffness is introduced which does not allow people to exchange ideas as freely.
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the state or condition of being excessive, difficult, or severe.
The council expressed concern about the stiffness of the fines and sentences for such minor infractions.
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(of soil) the state or condition of being compact; density.
A variety of sediment samples are needed in order to recover different types of sediment, mainly based on their stiffness.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of stiffness
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.
In setting out Jonathan’s defense, one of the filing’s most striking assertions is that Isak suffered from bilateral gonarthrosis in both knees, a degenerative joint condition that causes cartilage wear, pain, stiffness and reduced mobility.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
While cerebral palsy is not degenerative, as Vicky ages she experiences increased stiffness, fatigue and secondary health challenges.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
According to the researchers, the rubber effectively "fights against itself," creating a major increase in stiffness and strength.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
As a result, his fastball could top out in the mid-90s one day, but when the stiffness and pain returned, it left him throwing in the low 80s.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
To my surprise it opened after the first stiffness, and I went inside, bending my head because of the low door.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
