stiff
gb/stˈɪf/ us/stˈɪf/
A2
Kiingereza
~ 3400
merev, kemény, holttest, hulla, unalmas alak, merev alak
A2
1
merev
B1
Muundo wa matumizi:
[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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
My shoes are stiff.
Merev a cipőm.
The paper is stiff.
A papír merev.
Her neck is stiff.
The bread dough is stiff.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'stiff' with 'tight' when describing muscles or clothing; 'tight' refers to fit, while 'stiff' refers to lack of flexibility.
Maana
Not easily bent or moved
Miunganiko ya maneno
stiff fabric
|stiff muscles
|stiff collar
|stiff material
Visawe
rigid (Implies complete lack of flexibility, often more formal.)
Vinyume
flexible (Can bend or be moved easily without breaking.)
Mada
physical_properties
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ufafanuzi
Hard and not easy to bend or move.
Firm and not easily bent, folded, or moved.
B1
2
kemény
A2
Muundo wa matumizi:
[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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
The test is stiff.
A teszt kemény.
He has stiff competition.
Kemény versenytársai vannak.
We got a stiff fine.
The wind is stiff.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may confuse this with the physical rigidity meaning; context usually shows it refers to difficulty or intensity.
Maana
Severe or strong
Miunganiko ya maneno
stiff competition
|stiff penalties
|stiff breeze
|stiff drink
Visawe
intense (Describes something extreme in force or degree, not physical hardness.)
Vinyume
mild (Not strong or severe in effect.)
Mada
difficulty
|weather
|core_vocabulary
Ufafanuzi
Very strong or hard to deal with.
Very strong, intense, or severe in degree.
A2
INFORMAL
3
merev
B1
Muundo wa matumizi:
[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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
My legs are stiff.
Merevek a lábaim.
Her neck is stiff.
Merev a nyaka.
I feel stiff after work.
He has a stiff back.
Kosa la kawaida:
Some learners overuse this for general tiredness; 'tired' is different from 'stiff'.
Maana
Sore and difficult to move
Miunganiko ya maneno
stiff neck
|stiff back
|feel stiff
Visawe
aching (Focuses on pain rather than restricted movement.)
Vinyume
loose (Muscles feel relaxed and easy to move.)
Mada
health
|fitness
|body
Ufafanuzi
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.
NOMINO
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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
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.
Kosa la kawaida:
This is slang and shouldn't be used in formal contexts; learners sometimes use it in serious writing where 'body' or 'corpse' is better.
Maana
Dead body (informal)
Miunganiko ya maneno
find a stiff
|haul away the stiff
Visawe
corpse (Neutral and more formal term for a dead body.)
Vinyume
living person (Someone who is alive, opposite of dead body.)
Mada
crime
|police
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Ufafanuzi
An informal word for a dead person’s body.
An informal term for a dead human body.
NOMINO
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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
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.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners might think this relates to physical stiffness; here it’s about personality.
Maana
Boring or awkward person
Miunganiko ya maneno
act like a stiff
Visawe
square (Informal term for someone old-fashioned or boring.)
Vinyume
life of the party (Someone lively and entertaining in social gatherings.)
Mada
personality
|relationships
Ufafanuzi
A person who is not fun and does not relax in social situations.
A person who is dull, overly serious, or socially awkward.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
stiff
IPA
GB/stˈɪf/
US/stˈɪf/
Silabi na mkazo
stiff (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (stiff)
Maumbo ya neno
Adjective
- Base: stiff
- Comparative: stiffer
- Superlative: stiffest
Noun
- Base: stiff
- Plural: stiffs
Familia ya neno
Forms
stiffs
noun
stiffer
adjective
stiffest
adjective
Core family
Related words
stiffener
noun
Semi
bored stiff
1/bˈɔɹd stˈɪf/
idiom
informal
Extremely bored
Feeling very bored and not interested at all.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- She worked herself stiff preparing for the event.
- He worked himself stiff all week on that project.