stiffness

[stif-nis]

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of stiffness¹

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

Example Sentences

These vary and can include changes to physical features, stiffness of the limbs and short stature.

Read more on BBC

When they returned, Usman Khawaja again failed to show as opener as he battles back stiffness, with Australia signalling their intent by sending in Head.

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Cricket Australia defended underfire Usman Khawaja on Saturday for playing a round of golf on the eve of the first Ashes Test, where he failed to open the innings with back stiffness.

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Injury-prone Archer is firming for selection after making it through the warm-up unscathed, while Wood was cleared of any major issues after complaining of hamstring stiffness on day one.

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The 35-year-old complained of left hamstring stiffness on Friday during the tourists' only warm-up game before the opening Test in Perth on November 21.

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Related Words

• rigidity www.thesaurus.com