stiff
gb/stˈɪf/ us/stˈɪf/
A2
English
~ 3400
merev, kemény, holttest, hulla, unalmas alak, merev alak
A2
1
merev
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] is stiff
The new leather shoes felt stiff at first.
Az új bőrcipő eleinte merev volt.
Her neck was stiff after sleeping awkwardly.
Merev volt a nyaka, miután kényelmetlen pózban aludt.
The cardboard was too stiff to fold without tearing.
A stiff breeze blew across the field.
He stirred the stiff dough with difficulty.
Learner examples
My shoes are stiff.
Merev a cipőm.
The paper is stiff.
A papír merev.
Her neck is stiff.
The bread dough is stiff.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'stiff' with 'tight' when describing muscles or clothing; 'tight' refers to fit, while 'stiff' refers to lack of flexibility.
Meaning
Not easily bent or moved
Collocations
stiff fabric
|stiff muscles
|stiff collar
|stiff material
Synonyms
rigid (Implies complete lack of flexibility, often more formal.)
Antonyms
flexible (Can bend or be moved easily without breaking.)
Themes
physical_properties
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Hard and not easy to bend or move.
Firm and not easily bent, folded, or moved.
B1
2
kemény
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] is stiff
We faced stiff competition in the market.
Kemény versennyel kellett szembenéznünk a piacon.
There are stiff penalties for breaking the law.
A törvény megszegéséért kemény büntetés jár.
A stiff breeze made it hard to walk along the pier.
The exam will be a stiff challenge for most students.
Learner examples
The test is stiff.
A teszt kemény.
He has stiff competition.
Kemény versenytársai vannak.
We got a stiff fine.
The wind is stiff.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the physical rigidity meaning; context usually shows it refers to difficulty or intensity.
Meaning
Severe or strong
Collocations
stiff competition
|stiff penalties
|stiff breeze
|stiff drink
Synonyms
intense (Describes something extreme in force or degree, not physical hardness.)
Antonyms
mild (Not strong or severe in effect.)
Themes
difficulty
|weather
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very strong or hard to deal with.
Very strong, intense, or severe in degree.
A2
INFORMAL
3
merev
B1
Usage pattern:
[body part] is stiff
I felt stiff after running the marathon.
A maraton után merevnek éreztem magam.
His neck was stiff from sitting at the desk all day.
Egész nap az íróasztalnál ült, ezért merev volt a nyaka.
She woke up with a stiff back after sleeping on the couch.
Learner examples
My legs are stiff.
Merevek a lábaim.
Her neck is stiff.
Merev a nyaka.
I feel stiff after work.
He has a stiff back.
Common mistake:
Some learners overuse this for general tiredness; 'tired' is different from 'stiff'.
Meaning
Sore and difficult to move
Collocations
stiff neck
|stiff back
|feel stiff
Synonyms
aching (Focuses on pain rather than restricted movement.)
Antonyms
loose (Muscles feel relaxed and easy to move.)
Themes
health
|fitness
|body
Definition
When your muscles hurt and are hard to move after exercise or injury.
Having muscles that are painful and difficult to move due to injury, overuse, or strain.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
4
The police found a stiff in the alley.
A rendőrség egy hullát talált a sikátorban.
Mobsters dumped the stiff into the river.
A maffiózók a folyóba dobták a hullát.
They zipped the stiff into a body bag.
Learner examples
They found a stiff in the street.
Találtak egy hullát az utcán.
The police saw a stiff in the car.
A rendőrök egy hullát láttak az autóban.
He is a stiff now.
They took the stiff away.
Common mistake:
This is slang and shouldn't be used in formal contexts; learners sometimes use it in serious writing where 'body' or 'corpse' is better.
Meaning
Dead body (informal)
Collocations
find a stiff
|haul away the stiff
Synonyms
corpse (Neutral and more formal term for a dead body.)
Antonyms
living person (Someone who is alive, opposite of dead body.)
Themes
crime
|police
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An informal word for a dead person’s body.
An informal term for a dead human body.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
5
unalmas alak
B1
merev alak
B2
Don’t be such a stiff—come dance with us!
Ne legyél már ilyen merev alak – gyere táncolni velünk!
He’s nice, but he can be a bit of a stiff at parties.
Kedves, de bulikon néha kissé unalmas alak tud lenni.
You’ll have more friends if you stop acting like a stiff.
Learner examples
He is a stiff at parties.
Bulikon unalmas alak.
Don't be a stiff.
Ne legyél merev alak.
She is a real stiff with strangers.
Common mistake:
Learners might think this relates to physical stiffness; here it’s about personality.
Meaning
Boring or awkward person
Collocations
act like a stiff
Synonyms
square (Informal term for someone old-fashioned or boring.)
Antonyms
life of the party (Someone lively and entertaining in social gatherings.)
Themes
personality
|relationships
Definition
A person who is not fun and does not relax in social situations.
A person who is dull, overly serious, or socially awkward.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stiff
IPA
GB/stˈɪf/
US/stˈɪf/
Syllables & stress
stiff (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (stiff)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: stiff
- Comparative: stiffer
- Superlative: stiffest
Noun
- Base: stiff
- Plural: stiffs
Word family
Forms
stiffs
noun
stiffer
adjective
stiffest
adjective
Core family
Related words
stiffener
noun
Expressions
bored stiff
1/bˈɔɹd stˈɪf/
idiom
informal
Extremely bored
Feeling very bored and not interested at all.
Examples
- I was bored stiff during that lecture.
- He’s bored stiff waiting for the bus.
scare someone stiff
1/skˈɛɹ sˈʌmwˌʌn stˈɪf/
idiom
informal
Frighten greatly so they freeze
To make someone very afraid, so they feel frozen and cannot move.
Examples
- The sudden noise scared me stiff.
- She was scared stiff when she saw the snake.
stiff upper lip
1/stˈɪf ˈʌpɚ lˈɪp/
idiom
Stay calm in hardship
To not show feelings when something bad happens, staying calm and strong.
Examples
- Even after losing his job, he kept a stiff upper lip.
- She faced the bad news with a stiff upper lip.
work oneself stiff
1/wˈɚk wˌʌnsˈɛlf stˈɪf/
idiom
informal
Exhaust oneself through work
To make yourself very tired by working very hard for a long time.
Examples
- She worked herself stiff preparing for the event.
- He worked himself stiff all week on that project.