stɪf adj. & n. --adj. 1
rigid;
not flexible. 2
hard to bend or
move or
turn etc.; not
working freely. 3 hard to cope
with; needing
strength or
effort (a stiff test; a stiff climb). 4
severe or
strong (a stiff breeze; a stiff penalty). 5 (of a
person or manner)
formal, constrained;
lacking spontaneity. 6 (of a
muscle or limb etc., or a person
affected by these) aching
when used,
owing to
previous exertion,
injury, etc. 7 (of an
alcoholic or
medicinal drink) strong. 8 (predic.) colloq. to an
extreme degree (bored stiff; scared stiff). 9 (foll. by with) colloq. abounding in (a
place stiff with tourists). --n. sl. 1 a
corpse. 2 a
foolish or
useless person (you
big stiff). østiff
neck a
rheumatic condition in
which the head cannot be turned
without pain. stiff-necked
obstinate or
haughty. stiff upper
lip firmness,
fortitude. øøstiffish adj. stiffly adv. stiffness n. [OE stif f. Gmc]