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stiffness

American  
[stif-nis] / ˈstɪf nɪs /

noun

  1. 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.

  2. the state or condition of being unable to move easily.

    Proper stretching will help you avoid joint stiffness and muscle tension after a workout.

  3. 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.”

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. (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

  • overstiffness noun
  • semistiffness noun
  • unstiffness noun

Etymology

Origin of stiffness

stiff ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

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.

It leads to ongoing pain and stiffness in the knee joint, making everyday movement more difficult.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

This added stiffness made movements less efficient and was associated with poorer balance performance.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Origami models sometimes rely on folding or curving of paper for additional stiffness.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Speaking to The Mirror, the 47-year-old said he suffered stiffness in his left arm and a loss of sight in his left eye.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

She walks with the grace and stiffness of an old lady, stepping deliberately and carefully across the stony road.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

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.