EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Old English stīf, from Proto-Germanic *stīfaz (compare Dutch stijf, German steif), from Proto-Indo-European *stīpos (compare Latin stipare, from which English stevedore).
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
stiff (comparative stiffer, superlative stiffest)
- Of an object, rigid, hard to bend, inflexible.
- 1907, Robert W. Chambers, chapter IX, The Younger Set:
- “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
- 1907, Robert W. Chambers, chapter IX, The Younger Set:
- (figuratively) Of policies and rules and their application and enforcement, inflexible.
- Of a person, formal in behavior, unrelaxed.
- (colloquial) Harsh, severe.
- He was eventually caught, and given a stiff fine.
- Of muscles, or parts of the body, painful, as a result of excessive, or unaccustomed exercise.
- My legs are stiff after climbing that hill yesterday.
- Potent.
- A stiff drink; a stiff dose; a stiff breeze.
- Dead, deceased.
- Of a penis, erect.
QuotationsEdit
- For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
of an object, rigid, hard to bend, inflexible
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figuratively: of policies and rules and their application and enforcement
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of a person, formal in behavior, unrelaxed
colloquial: harsh, severe
of muscles, or parts of the body
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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NounEdit
stiff (plural stiffs)
- An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff.
- A Working Stiff's Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember was published in 2003.
- A person who is deceived, as a mark or pigeon in a swindle.
- She convinced the stiff to go to her hotel room, where her henchman was waiting to rob him.
- (slang) A cadaver, a dead person.
- (US) A person who leaves (especially a restaurant) without paying the bill.
- (blackjack) Any hard hand where it is possible to exceed 21 by drawing an additional card.
See alsoEdit
- bindlestiff
- See also Wikisaurus:corpse, Wikisaurus:body
TranslationsEdit
average person, usually male
person who is deceived
slang: cadaver, dead person
US: person who leaves without paying the bill
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VerbEdit
stiff (third-person singular simple present stiffs, present participle stiffing, simple past and past participle stiffed)
- To fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.
- Realizing he had forgotten his wallet, he stiffed the taxi driver when the cab stopped for a red light.
- 1946, William Foote Whyte, Industry and Society, page 129
- We asked one girl to explain how she felt when she was "stiffed." She said, You think of all the work you've done and how you've tried to please [them…].
- 1992, Stephen Birmingham, Shades of Fortune, page 451
- You see, poor Nonie really was stiffed by Adolph in his will. He really stiffed her, Rose, and I really wanted to right that wrong.
- 2007, Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before, page 154
- Then he stiffed the waiter with a cheap tip.
TranslationsEdit
to fail to pay money one owes
to tip ungenerously
to cheat someone
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