Standard Lemma guide

stiffly

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈstɪfli/
  • CMU ARPABET: S T IH1 F L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a stiff manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in a stiff manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his hands lay stiffly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stiff

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in a rigid manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the body was rigidly erect
  • he sat bolt upright

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rigidly, bolt

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English stifly, styfly; equivalent to stiff + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 呆板地 — in a stiff manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 笨拙地 — in a stiff manner
  • Finnish: kankeasti — in a stiff manner
  • French: rigidement — in a stiff manner
  • Galician: rixidamente — in a stiff manner
  • Georgian: გახევებულად (gaxevebulad) — in a stiff manner
  • Georgian: მოჭიმულად (moč̣imulad) — in a stiff manner
  • Hungarian: mereven — in a stiff manner
  • Italian: rigidamente — in a stiff manner
  • Italian: legnosamente — in a stiff manner
  • Japanese: こりこり (korikori) — in a stiff manner
  • Japanese: ごわごわ (gowagowa) — in a stiff manner
  • Japanese: ごつごつ (gotsugotsu) — in a stiff manner
  • Latin: dūrē — in a stiff manner
  • Latvian: stīvi — in a stiff manner
  • Middle English: stifly — in a stiff manner
  • Middle English: styfly — in a stiff manner
  • Norman: rigidement — in a stiff manner
  • Portuguese: rigidamente — in a stiff manner
  • Russian: жёстко (žóstko) — in a stiff manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: кру̑то — in a stiff manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: др̏вено — in a stiff manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: у̀ко̄чено — in a stiff manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: krȗto — in a stiff manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: dȑveno — in a stiff manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: ùkōčeno — in a stiff manner
  • Spanish: rígidamente — in a stiff manner