stiffness
12 synonyms for stiffness, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The quality of being rigid or resistant to bending.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use stiffness
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
muscle stiffness
joint stiffness
social stiffness
Etymology
From Old English stīþnes, built from "stiff" plus the noun ending "-ness".
Full origin of stiffness →Frequently asked questions
What does “stiffness” mean?
The word “stiffness” means the quality of being rigid or resistant to bending. In plain terms, how rigid, sore, or unnatural something is — a beam, a body, or a personality.
How do you use “stiffness” in a sentence?
Here is “stiffness” used in a sentence: “Engineers test the stiffness of the beam before approving the design.”
What part of speech is “stiffness”?
“Stiffness” is a noun.
Where does the word “stiffness” come from?
The word “stiffness” comes from Old English. From Old English stīþnes, built from "stiff" plus the noun ending "-ness".
Is “stiffness” a common word?
“Stiffness” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “stiffness” have?
“Stiffness” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the quality of being rigid or resistant to bending.
