Definition of stiff in English:

stiff

adjective stɪfstɪf

1Not easily bent or changed in shape; rigid.
不易弯曲的；硬的
a stiff black collar
一个硬黑领。
stiff cardboard
硬纸板。
Example sentencesExamples
- The plans are in PDF format for easy printing and pasting onto stiff cardboard.
- If your elbows get too straight they will be stiff and you can easily get pulled out of the saddle.
- He rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them up from the stiff black tux he was wearing.
- He's wearing a white shirt with a stiff collar, black trousers with braces, and dancing shoes with leather spats.
- His brother certainly looked uncomfortable in his city clothes, pulling constantly at his stiff collar.
- She didn't move from her spot at all and looked as rigid and stiff as a statue even as her eyes watered from the smoke.
- While indoors, place a piece of the paper on stiff cardboard.
- The pants were stiff, inflexible, and suffered the same problem.
- The duo have dispensed with plastic CD casings and fashioned their covers from stiff cardboard.
- Arterial damage affects the elasticity of arteries, which become stiff and rigid.
- For example, tubing made from cobalt alloys can be used in the production of rigid or stiff endoscopes for use in certain diagnostic procedures.
- The collar of the stiff shirt was chafing slightly around the scars on his neck, and the ponytail he'd put his hair in was so tight it was liable to give him a headache.
- He wore a long black cloak over a fine-pressed suit, with a high stiff collar.
- As he said this, I indeed felt my arms become rigid and stiff.
- The pile will be stiff and easily scratch away when it's ready.
- If an electric fan is not feasible, try to fan the seedling with a piece of stiff paper or cardboard a couple of times a day.
- Another image shows him in black coat, pale trousers, stiff white collar, and hat.
- By breaking in your shoes at home, you won't be at the center struggling through games in stiff, rigid shoes the first time out.
- The stiff black rubber fins allowed bodysurfers to catch bigger waves, then angle across their faces.
- Scrape away as much wax as you can using your finger, a plastic kitchen scraper, or a stiff piece of cardboard.
Synonyms
rigid, hard, firm, hardened, inelastic, non-flexible, inflexible, ungiving
rare impliable, unmalleable
1. 1.1 (of a semi-liquid substance) viscous; thick.
  （半流质）黏稠的；稠的
  add wheat until the mixture is quite stiff
  添加小麦直到混合物变稠。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Whip the cream in a large chilled bowl until lusciously thick but not stiff.
  If the dough is too stiff a little more coconut milk could be added.
  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until thick and stiff.
  Whisk together the double and single cream until thick, but not stiff: this takes longer than usual because of the addition of the single cream.
  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until firm but not stiff, and fold the two mixtures together.
  While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
  Mix together roughly four tablespoons of flour and one tablespoon of water with enough water to form a paste - a thick, stiff paste will give you a raised cross and a looser paste will give you a flat cross.
  The water content of doughnut mixtures is important; the dough must be stiff enough to be shaped, but still contain plenty of moisture to give the light spongy texture of the cooked product.
2. 1.2 Not moving as freely as is usual or desirable; difficult to turn or operate.
  不灵活的，难活动的；难转向的，难转动的
  a stiff drawer
  难以拉开的抽屉。
  the shower tap is a little stiff
  淋浴的水龙头有点不太灵活。
  Example sentencesExamples
  It is harder for them to dress in and out of equipment, propel themselves through the water and operate stiff power inflators or releases, for example.
  Typical aging of these windows involves corrosion of the metal, stiff operation, inability to close and multiple layers of paint.
3. 1.3 (of a person or part of the body) unable to move easily and without pain.
  （人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的
  he was stiff from sitting on the desk
  由于坐在桌子上，他身体有点僵硬。
  a stiff back
  一个硬黑领。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Her body was stiff and her joints screamed with every movement, but she knew that movement would do her good.
  His muscles were stiff and sore, and his body was tired.
  As I woke up, my whole body was sore and stiff from all the pain and the prolonged exposure to the rough surface of the rooftop.
  My body was stiff and sore from the rest I got while belaying.
  Now that the adrenaline had worn off, and I had sat for a minute, my whole body was stiff and sore.
  His entire body was stiff and sore from his less than ideal sleeping conditions.
  With intuitive insight, they will begin to recognize when their body is stiff, sore, tired or emotionally drained.
  He was weak and his aching body was still stiff from the beating.
  He sat up and grimaced a little because his back ached, his entire body was stiff and his feet were cold.
  I had slept cramped up on a wooden floor, and my whole body was now stiff.
  My legs were stiff and a little sore from sitting still so long.
  ‘My body was very stiff at first especially because of my old age,’ Shen said.
  I found that the hardest thing in my quest to lose weight and get fit was the pain - I was so stiff at first.
  Her entire body was stiff and sore, and she was cold to the bone.
  The goal of treatment is to control pain, to prevent joints from losing motion, and to help already stiff joints move more easily.
  He stood up, stretching limbs that had become stiff from the cramped surroundings.
  A little into the morning saw all of us grimacing over our stiff bodies - the outcome of the previous day's water pursuits!
  Synonyms
  aching, achy, painful
  arthritic, rheumatic
  taut, tight
  informal creaky, rheumaticky, rusty
  archaic stark
4. 1.4 (of a person or their manner) not relaxed or friendly; constrained.
  （人或其态度）拘谨的，局促的，不自然的；傲慢的
  she greeted him with stiff politeness
  她拘谨地向他有礼貌地打招呼。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Is he going to come across as stiff and wooden, or is he going to come across as a person that Americans can trust?
  Continuing in his stiff, impassive way, Chris lifted Dion onto the rotten chair and wrapped the ropes around him and the chair.
  We discontinued our love charade, even with Rod present, and never gave more than a stiff and polite nod of greeting to one another.
  I also thought that the two of us needed to learn to relax around each other, for we had grown to be much too stiff and serious than friends should be.
  He was the only one not stiff and unresponsive with worry.
  If you appear stiff, reserved, timid and insecure, they will feel repulsed.
  Through the primaries, everyone said he could be aloof and cold, stiff and ambitious.
  He seems to be a rather stiff and aloof character.
  Mel had never particularly liked the woman's stiff manner and perfect outward appearance.
  Dancing with Angelique was difficult at first, she refused to get to close to him, and was stiff and cold.
  Once relaxed and happy, Lena now seemed stiff, like a drill sergeant or something.
  Corrissa's stiff manner left her, and she ran frantically towards the door and immediately started pounding on it.
  First it suddenly hit her that she was stiff, even snappish, towards everyone but her closest friends, Mick and Reardon.
  He is stiff, self-conscious, grudging, coy and ungenerous.
  And although both Ruth and Colin are playing stiff British characters, they do manage some convincing chemistry.
  They come across as stiff and uninteresting, but that's exactly what the director wants from them.
  You have a melancholy disposition resulting in a shyness, or a formal and stiff manner of presenting yourself.
  He was sincere but he was not adept at consolation so it came out stiff, wooden.
  Her tone is stiff and distant, and he doesn't answer, something she finds unsettling.
  They'd been distant and stiff with each other since the truth about the bet had come out.
  Synonyms
  formal, reserved, unfriendly, chilly, cold, frigid, icy, austere, unrelaxed, brittle, stand-offish, wooden, forced, constrained, strained, stilted
  prim, punctilious, stuffy
  informal starchy, uptight
2Severe or strong.
严格的，严重的；严厉的
they face stiff fines and a possible jail sentence
他们面临着很重的罚款和可能坐牢的处罚。
a stiff increase in taxes
税收的飞涨。
Example sentencesExamples
- He was tried and found guilty by a British Consular Court: his punishment was a stiff fine and probation with a stern warning to desist.
- Because of the stiff penalties for second children, many couples have unregistered babies.
- They got fined $100 million which is a stiff fine by the Federal Reserve.
- But the new rates put a premium on using those accounts for investments that would otherwise face stiff taxes - like bonds.
- Individuals who decided not to take up the offer of making a voluntary disclosure will face prosecution, as well as stiff bills for tax, interest and penalties.
- Despite a variety of strong protections and stiff penalties for violations, this law continues to fall short of its target.
- That commission recommended stiff increases in the payroll tax to create a surplus that would help fund the retirement of baby boomers down the road.
- The fine should be stiff, possibly around Rs. 1,000.
- Any member that exceeds the 3% limit has two years in which to bring its deficit down, or it will face stiff fines from the Commission.
- After getting no less than two fines and a stiff warning from the electoral committee, they were found to have gone over the allowed limit of their budget.
- Stiff penalties are to be introduced for people who make bogus insurance claims.
- The lawyers are arguing that that fine is just too stiff.
- By insisting, however, on such a stiff income tax rate, the allied powers had created ample opportunities for the scheme just described.
- The league should be proud of that, not hiding behind stiff fines and harsh rhetoric.
- "This is a fairly stiff penalty for what we did," said Norris.
- Even the most stiff nominal tax rate would turn out to be a very meager tax burden for landowners.
- The relocation to suburbs in Dublin also allowed them avoid paying stiff city taxes.
- I still see a lot of people here using their phones normally here, but the fines are fairly stiff if you are caught.
- The line, a reference to their recent stiff increases in license fees for cable operators, drew laughter and applause.
- This can be done, in part anyway, by stiff taxes on carbon dioxide emissions.
Synonyms
harsh, severe, hard, punitive, punishing, stringent, swingeing, crippling, rigorous, drastic, strong, heavy, draconian
1. 2.1 (of a wind) blowing strongly.
  （风）强烈的，强有力的
  a stiff breeze stirring the lake
  搅动湖水的一阵强风。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The Pope, who aides say is losing sleep over the possibility of war, celebrated a Mass that began with a stiff wind blowing in from Siberia over the flat steppes and ended in sunshine.
  It will shatter, and then a stiff wind will blow though, and the pieces will slowly fall and scatter.
  The last two miles on the home stretch were tough, with a few hills and a stiff wind but all got home safe without any falls.
  A stiff wind blew through the woods, ruffling their hair.
  A fairly stiff breeze was blowing, but the branches of the willow trees never swayed.
  Invariably, we were buffeted by a stiff wind which left you red-faced but invigorated.
  But I am daunted at the challenges that paddling up-stream against an out-going tide and against a stiff wind must present.
  It was a consummate display of rugby into a stiff wind.
  A stiff breeze was blowing from the town end, to the Rangers' advantage.
  A stiff wind did nothing to dampen the atmosphere at a great day's racing at Lacken Strand on Sunday, May 19th.
  This game was played in horrid conditions and the stiff breeze that blew from one corner flag to the other made point taking arduous even at the best of times.
  It's obvious that the surface here is quite stable: even when stiff winds blow, there's hardly a speck of dust raised.
  In a stiff wind on a gathering sea, they would have all the stability of a tin tray.
  As he spoke, it seemed the gods were heeding the many prayers at the Cork venue, as the sun shone brightly and a stiff wind blew on the opening day.
  A stiff wind had kept up all night and she'd slept bad.
  The last two mile on the home stretch was tough, a few hills and a stiff wind.
  I was getting used to the cold when I heard a sound in the distance, looked up, and saw the first signs of a stiff wind working its way toward me.
  Fortunately, I'm currently in the midst of sobering up a little before I go to sleep, thanks to the stiff breeze blowing in through my bedroom window.
  Although the temperature hovered in the forties, a stiff wind had picked up.
  In a traditional yurt, the framework is covered with felt mats and tied down with hair ropes to prevent the mats from blowing off in stiff winds.
  Synonyms
  strong, vigorous, powerful, brisk, fresh, gusty
  howling
2. 2.2 Requiring strength or effort; difficult.
  费劲的，艰难的；困难的
  a long stiff climb up the bare hillside
  爬那光秃秃的山坡是一段很长的艰难攀登。
  Example sentencesExamples
  From there a very stiff climb through what is still called ‘Sullivan road’ took us to Kundhesappe and then to Doddabetta foothill.
  Needless to say, what sounds like a reasonable idea met with stiff resistance.
  Naturally, there is some stiff opposition waiting for you at nearly every turn.
  However, they have the foundations of what will provide a stiff challenge for the county's elite forces.
  A stiff ride on the flats along a creek-bed exhilarated him and sharpened his bloodlust.
  You can drive to the base of the rock but it is a fairly stiff climb from there, although it only takes about five minutes.
  The mens team also faces a stiff challenge when they take on Club Amber.
  Be prepared for a stiff climb, but the sundial and the view of Houghton and Hillbrow is worth the huffing and puffing.
  Dave, the lodge manager, sets a stiff pace uphill.
  Still, the game proved an outstanding one and would have brought the Mayo players on a lot and ready for the stiff challenge that the Ulster champions will provide.
  Since the club opened it has notched up wins against some very stiff competition.
  Recent, but unconfirmed reports, suggests the stiff competition and generally tough trading conditions has not been as bad as previously expected.
  The news of increase in sales tax on diesel had met with stiff resistance from petrol pump dealers, who had threatened to go on a strike in protest against it.
  Mind you, it's up against stiff competition from University Challenge.
  It turned out to be a rewarding trip as they overcame the stiff challenge of their Wicklow opponents.
  I would recommend doing between eight and 12 repetitions on a fairly stiff hill about 800 metres long.
  And walkers, too, are in for some pretty stiff challenges once they leave the paths.
  However, outside of China, in Japan for instance, such an effort will meet stiff resistance from habit users and from simple economic forces.
  Once more, firm sand provided a gentle walking surface until almost the end of the beach, where we rested before the short but stiff climb to the heathland above the cliffs.
  The course was cruel to the runners, presenting them with with five stiff hill climbs to negotiate in the last 15 km.
  Synonyms
  difficult, hard, arduous, tough, strenuous, laborious, uphill, exacting, demanding, formidable, challenging, punishing, back-breaking, gruelling, Herculean
  tiring, fatiguing, exhausting
  informal killing, hellish
  British informal knackering
  archaic toilsome
3. 2.3 (of an alcoholic drink) strong.
  （酒）浓的，烈性的
  a stiff measure of brandy
  一杯很浓的白兰地。
  Example sentencesExamples
  We dropped his car off, and then drove over to the pub and continued with another couple of stiff drinks.
  She calmed down only after a stiff drink at the reception.
  Bowles reassures her with a stiff whisky and a clipped certainty that everything will be back to normal tomorrow.
  I suspect we may all need a stiff drink by the time this is over.
  I fancy a stiff drink this lunchtime to steady my nerves!
  Someday I'm going to think about all the time I've wasted and need a stiff drink.
  She shut the door, sealing herself off from the noise, and poured herself a stiff drink.
  By the end of the evening, most of my guests had settled back into their seats with satisfied grins and a stiff drink or smoke in hand as ordering took place.
  Alternatively, drop anchor, pour a stiff drink and soak up the sun!
  His disgust with himself and his actions inspired the need for a stiff drink.
  We banned all the men while we were doing the photo shoot and had a stiff drink afterwards.
  I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife and maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep.
  Keats spluttered and coughed to full wakefulness, and steadied himself with a stiff brandy.
  I'm going to go have a stiff drink and try to forget I ever heard about this.
  I don't drink at lunchtime but I like a stiff whisky at 6.30 in the evening and perhaps another later on.
  The General was pouring himself a stiff brandy with shaking hands.
  And it's been the kind of week so far that makes you want a nice stiff drink.
  She could do with a stiff drink after all the riding and running she'd done today.
  I don't know why - I'm not a smoker but a stiff drink and a cigarette seemed to take my mind off the events for a moment.
  Synonyms
  strong, potent, alcoholic, spirituous, intoxicant
3stiff withinformal Full of.
the place is stiff with alarm systems
那地方布满了警报系统。
4— stiffinformal Having a specified unpleasant feeling to an extreme extent.
〈非正式〉（不好的感觉）十分，极其
she was scared stiff
她极其害怕。
I was bored stiff with my project
我对我的计划极为厌烦。
Example sentencesExamples
- While my heart had wanted so much to stay with him, to never leave him, my mind was still scared stiff of getting close to anyone and had needed to get far away.
- Everything I had thought to be possible was true, and I didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared stiff.
- She sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup and sat on the bed, bored stiff.
- Andy pleaded from the hallway seeming utterly scared stiff.
- Much of the public was and still is scared stiff of crime.
- But only the father cares enough to make sure he's scared stiff not to do something like that again.
- She was worn out, scared stiff, her heart was beating furiously, and her lungs were screaming in protest with every breath of icy air she inhaled.
- It was obvious these guys were scared stiff of something, but what?
- Actually, they look bored stiff, but you see his point.
- "They'll see that in the paper and think I'm scared stiff," he said.
- It might be fun and it would certainly beat sitting here bored stiff!
- I couldn't be a model nowadays, I'd be bored stiff.
- I swerved to the left, scared stiff at what had just happened.
- He sent an ambulance to me, and while I waited for it, I sat on the curb, scared stiff, clutching a matted, long-haired tabby cat.
- One is that much of the public is scared stiff of crime.
- I cannot speak for Xander, but I was still scared stiff.
- Fulner sat in his chair for a few moments, scared stiff, before regaining his composure and speaking.

noun stɪfstɪf

informal

1A dead body.
死尸
Example sentencesExamples
- A friend of my father's worked for the London Transport Police and part of his job involved scraping stiffs off the tracks.
- When the bodies of various stiffs start disappearing from the local morgue, the police are baffled as to where they've gone.
- There's a whole craft industry based on vehicles for transferring stiffs from the chapel to the boneyard.
Synonyms
corpse, cadaver, dead body, body, remains, skeleton, relics
2North American A boring, conventional person.
〈主北美〉令人讨厌的人，因循守旧的人
ordinary working stiffs in respectable offices
在体面办公室里工作的普通而且因循守旧的人。
Example sentencesExamples
- But working stiffs who slave all day to pay the Hydro bills can sometimes barely get a peek out the window as the circus rolls by.
- He is on great terms with all the working stiffs and is a popular executive.
- I guess working stiffs like their comedians to be aggressively stupid and insultingly formulaic.
- Well, if you're a typical working stiff in today's corporate world, you're not getting any bargains from the big executives upstairs.
- So, unlike the bigwigs who cashed in big on stock options, look for him to remain a working stiff.
- And instead of the magic of the performers feeding on the collective, often irrational consciousness of a celebratory theatre crowd, you've now got actors singing for their supper in front of row upon row of wealthy stiffs.
- They performed lewd acts, taunted the police, harassed the stiffs and produced great art.
- Most of the politicians are sensibly out of town, but the poor working stiffs hardly get away at all.
- True, more than a few stiffs have taken cover behind the blue shirt down the years, and several others could have made a fair living selling it, but none went as far as the ultimate sacrifice.
- At least the kids in the first one had chemistry; here the cheerleaders are dull and the dudes are stiffs.
- Never once do you buy him as a beat down working class stiff who just needs a break to get what he more or less rightfully deserves.
- He looks like he's going to be your typical good looking stiff, but once he gets to talk a bit, he is quite natural and has some comic skills.
- I've always thought of him as a rather dull-witted stiff.
- Never have the ordinary people of America, the decent, working stiffs, needed and deserved a great tribute more urgently.
- But, hey: grin and bear it, because at least you're not hanging out with those stiffs from work, right?
- Four working stiffs shack up to make the greatest rock record of recent times.
- This comes from a working class stiff who has a 14-year old son who skates.
- The cops weren't hugely heroic figures, but working stiffs, not even remotely glamorous.
- Don't trust that future working stiffs will pay your way - the system may be entirely different by then!
- With all that cash tucked under the mattress, it is not easy for a working stiff to understand why he wants to do an Edinburgh show.
3the stiffsBritish A sports club's reserve team.
〈英〉（体育俱乐部的）后备队，候补队
Example sentencesExamples
- And, if he did not play ball, they could play him in the stiffs.
- And unfortunately that's what we saw from Becks in the Portsmouth game so that explains why I dropped him to play with the stiffs when the first team was at Blackburn.

verb stɪfstɪf

[with object]informal

1North American Cheat (someone) out of something, especially money.
〈北美〉欺骗，欺诈
several workers were stiffed out of their pay
Example sentencesExamples
- Did they think he would just disappear after the press conference got stiffed by the media?
- I got stiffed the first (and, consequently, only) time I participated in one of those Secret Santa wish list things.
- One show I saw involved a woman who'd stiffed an appliance store on a refrigerator and then had the gall to sue it for harassment when it tried to collect.
- And when you stiff the person, not sending them any drugs or explosives at all - that's all profit right there.
- After the media glare faded, the team was stiffed for $43,000 of the prize money.
- However, the high-living deadbeat dad who stiffs his kids is largely a mythical creature.
- In the past, East Baghdad has been stiffed and not given its fair share.
- I'd love to sign up for the Secret Santa thing this year, too, but I got stiffed last year, so it sort of left a bad taste in my mouth.
- Workers, in other words, will be stiffed again.
- So, just out of curiosity, did anyone else get stiffed by their Secret Santa?
- If people are unaware, it is a crime to stiff people on wages, even the homeless.
- The claim here is that even if the system does not go bankrupt, future retirees still will be stiffed because the trust fund has been looted repeatedly by previous presidents to finance their pet political projects.
- I don't want to stiff her if she's due a partial fee, but I'm afraid that if I let her know she'll try to overcharge me.
- She was upset after being stiffed for $11 by her employer, a white woman for whom she worked as a maid.
- God only knows in what other ways they are stiffing society.
- As we noted last night, he seems to have stiffed the Times.
- We do know they have been steadily alienating your regular customers, stiffing them on money owed, making a terrible mess of the legitimate business, while all the while on paper your company is soaring.
- Chances are that he wants to stiff you for the deposit and then he will have it patched.
- So if the insurance companies are going to stiff Americans when it comes to affordable prescription drugs, somebody has to do the job.
- The sellers will have to show that the selling entities received fair value and that the transaction had economic substance above and beyond merely stiffing their creditors.
Synonyms
swindle, defraud, deceive, trick, dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, gull
1. 1.1 Fail to leave (someone) a tip.
  不给…小费
  Example sentencesExamples
  However, I have never ever completely stiffed a waitress/waiter as much as I would have liked to.
  Every morning the same four guys came in, ate the same eggs-and-potatoes configurations, repeated the same harangue about how I was personally responsible for their lack of overtime, and stiffed me.
  I can tell you I never stiffed a waiter in a French restaurant.
  "Sending a message" by stiffing a rude waiter or bellhop does not work.
  Another spends 10 minutes squatting by the table, recounting how his previous tables stiffed him when the computers overheated and meals didn't arrive on time.
  If you leave a quarter you might as well be stiffing me.
2North American Ignore (someone) deliberately; snub.
〈北美〉冷落，怠慢
the stars are notorious for stiffing their hosts and sponsors at banquets
Example sentencesExamples
- And in this case, he was very interested in all of the questions, did not stiff them or brush them off.
- He had stiffed the United Nations many, many times.
- And yet, he stiffed the police for a couple of months and, even to this day, has not spoken out publicly.
- He was also stiffing the White House press corps.
- And the two best ways to keep people stupid and nodding is by shutting down the information flow and by stiffing the press.
- He stiffed me because he wanted to hang out with his buddies and smoke.
- And on that very point, is it reasonable for journalists to be criticizing him for basically staying silent, saying nothing, and stiffing the press for seven long weeks?
- But to follow up on Bernie's question, does the vice president pay a price for stiffing the press as he has done for two months now?
- But having stiffed the world and threatened U.S. allies, they may be rewarded with trade, aid and the global respect they've coveted for decades.
- Does the outcome of the recall show that you can get away with bypassing, stiffing, and otherwise not engaging the mainstream media and still get elected governor of California?
Synonyms
insult, slight, affront, humiliate, treat disrespectfully
3Kill (someone)
I want to get those pigs who stiffed your doctor
Synonyms
murder, cause the death of, end the life of, take the life of, do away with, make away with, assassinate, do to death, eliminate, terminate, dispatch, finish off, put to death, execute
1. 3.1no object (of a commercial venture or product) be unsuccessful.
  as soon as he began singing about the wife and kids, his albums stiffed
  他一开始歌唱他的妻子和孩子，他的唱片就不灵了。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Ultimately, we wound up doing one television show as guild members, the record started stiffing and the band broke up.
  Every bit as ghastly as it sounds, it stiffed completely.
  A publisher paid an advance of more than $500,000 for it, it became a book that attracted rave reviews, and it stiffed in its first week.
  A few more singles stiffed in 1965/66 before the band ground to a halt sometime in 1967.
  All right, but are they secretly pleased that her most recent single stiffed at number 52?
  The press created this New Glam thing with Verve and Suede but our third single stiffed and eventually we were dropped.
  I'll bet you his last album was more successful than an American superstar whose last album stiffed.
  It stiffed, but his performance sticks in the memory and it's that ability which will see him through any critical fall-out.

Phrases

stiff as a board

informal (of a person or part of the body) extremely stiff.
（人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的
Example sentencesExamples
- He nodded and reached for her shoulder and found it to be as stiff as a board.
- He was shocked, so much so that he was holding his breath and was as stiff as a board.
- He would lay in his bed flat on his back, stiff as a board, tightly clutching his blanket with the fingers of both hands.
- Dustin fought to stay up, to stay stiff as a board, but eventually the bear succeeded in knocking him over.
- By the time I hit the beginning of Toronto my feet were killing me and I was stiff as a board all over.
- He uttered a faint, choking gasp, and toppled over backwards, stiff as a board.
- She looked tired with dark circles beneath her eyes and she was as stiff as a board, trying to fight the pain.
- I made my back as stiff as a board, glaring the whole while at the poor boy.
- He put his arms around her and at first she resisted in the only way she could: by remaining stiff as a board.
- The first sign of her low mood was that she was actually slouching and not sitting as stiff as a board, as she usually did.

a stiff upper lip

A quality of uncomplaining stoicism.
坚定沉着，感情不外露，坚忍
senior managers had to keep a stiff upper lip and remain optimistic
高级经理们必须坚定沉着，始终保持乐观。
Example sentencesExamples
- Upper-class Englishmen pride themselves on discretion and a stiff upper lip, deeply unfashionable human qualities in these tabloid times.
- It is quite humorous to see the actors work through their lines with a stiff upper lip - even they can't seem to believe what they are being asked to say.
- Other Americans are told to keep a stiff upper lip.
- But, if the governing class goes about business as usual, that's not a stiff upper lip but a death wish.
- I should keep a stiff upper lip and take the high road and all that, so I will.
- Then, as now, the Londoners had a stiff upper lip.
- Most of the women were crying, but I kept a stiff upper lip.
- But aren't news people supposed to keep a stiff upper lip?
- At least I don't have to keep a stiff upper lip anymore.
- Keeping a stiff upper lip during such tribulations, she writes, is what one must do.

Derivatives

stiffish

adjective

I think it's male, and he has short, gray fur, black quills growing along his back, to a stiffish tail, and his mane has grown a lot since the last time I saw him, all white and shaggy.
Example sentencesExamples
- But then, bridesmaids would never wear black in my own admittedly stiffish and old fashioned set.
- A rather stiffish breeze blew from the town end of the grounds, which the winners had first use of.
- The sides were tied and the former Ryan Cup champions faced into a stiffish breeze for the second period.
- Drain well and mash, adding the other ingredients, forming a stiffish dough.

Origin

Old English stīf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stijf.

An Old English word, stiff goes back to a Germanic root meaning ‘inflexible’ and shares an Indo-European ancestry with Latin stipare ‘press, pack’ source of constipate (Late Middle English) and via Spanish the stevedore (late 18th century) who packs away cargo. As a noun meaning ‘a dead body’ it dates back to the USA of the 1850s. The stiffs, meaning the reserve team of a sports club, is a 1950s use. See also starve.
The stiff upper lip, a quality of uncomplaining stoicism so often thought of as peculiarly British is apparently North American in origin. The earliest recorded example is from the US writer John Neal's novel The Down Easters (1833): ‘What's the use o' boo-hooin’?…Keep a stiff upper lip; no bones broke.’

Rhymes

biff, cliff, glyph, if, kif, miff, niff, quiff, riff, skew-whiff, skiff, sniff, spliff, tiff, whiff

Definition of stiff in US English:

stiff

adjectivestifstɪf

1Not easily bent or changed in shape; rigid.
不易弯曲的；硬的
a stiff black collar
一个硬黑领。
stiff cardboard
硬纸板。
Example sentencesExamples
- He rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them up from the stiff black tux he was wearing.
- For example, tubing made from cobalt alloys can be used in the production of rigid or stiff endoscopes for use in certain diagnostic procedures.
- Scrape away as much wax as you can using your finger, a plastic kitchen scraper, or a stiff piece of cardboard.
- Arterial damage affects the elasticity of arteries, which become stiff and rigid.
- While indoors, place a piece of the paper on stiff cardboard.
- He's wearing a white shirt with a stiff collar, black trousers with braces, and dancing shoes with leather spats.
- The plans are in PDF format for easy printing and pasting onto stiff cardboard.
- If your elbows get too straight they will be stiff and you can easily get pulled out of the saddle.
- The pants were stiff, inflexible, and suffered the same problem.
- He wore a long black cloak over a fine-pressed suit, with a high stiff collar.
- If an electric fan is not feasible, try to fan the seedling with a piece of stiff paper or cardboard a couple of times a day.
- His brother certainly looked uncomfortable in his city clothes, pulling constantly at his stiff collar.
- By breaking in your shoes at home, you won't be at the center struggling through games in stiff, rigid shoes the first time out.
- The collar of the stiff shirt was chafing slightly around the scars on his neck, and the ponytail he'd put his hair in was so tight it was liable to give him a headache.
- The stiff black rubber fins allowed bodysurfers to catch bigger waves, then angle across their faces.
- The duo have dispensed with plastic CD casings and fashioned their covers from stiff cardboard.
- Another image shows him in black coat, pale trousers, stiff white collar, and hat.
- She didn't move from her spot at all and looked as rigid and stiff as a statue even as her eyes watered from the smoke.
- As he said this, I indeed felt my arms become rigid and stiff.
- The pile will be stiff and easily scratch away when it's ready.
Synonyms
rigid, hard, firm, hardened, inelastic, non-flexible, inflexible, ungiving
1. 1.1 (of a semiliquid substance) viscous; thick.
  （半流质）黏稠的；稠的
  add wheat until the mixture is quite stiff
  添加小麦直到混合物变稠。
  Example sentencesExamples
  If the dough is too stiff a little more coconut milk could be added.
  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until firm but not stiff, and fold the two mixtures together.
  The water content of doughnut mixtures is important; the dough must be stiff enough to be shaped, but still contain plenty of moisture to give the light spongy texture of the cooked product.
  Whip the cream in a large chilled bowl until lusciously thick but not stiff.
  Whisk together the double and single cream until thick, but not stiff: this takes longer than usual because of the addition of the single cream.
  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until thick and stiff.
  While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
  Mix together roughly four tablespoons of flour and one tablespoon of water with enough water to form a paste - a thick, stiff paste will give you a raised cross and a looser paste will give you a flat cross.
2. 1.2 Not moving as freely as is usual or desirable; difficult to turn or operate.
  不灵活的，难活动的；难转向的，难转动的
  a stiff drawer
  难以拉开的抽屉。
  the faucet in the shower is a little stiff
  淋浴的水龙头有点不太灵活。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Typical aging of these windows involves corrosion of the metal, stiff operation, inability to close and multiple layers of paint.
  It is harder for them to dress in and out of equipment, propel themselves through the water and operate stiff power inflators or releases, for example.
3. 1.3 (of a person or part of the body) unable to move easily and without pain.
  （人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的
  he was stiff from sitting on the desk
  由于坐在桌子上，他身体有点僵硬。
  a stiff back
  一个硬黑领。
  Example sentencesExamples
  He was weak and his aching body was still stiff from the beating.
  I found that the hardest thing in my quest to lose weight and get fit was the pain - I was so stiff at first.
  Her body was stiff and her joints screamed with every movement, but she knew that movement would do her good.
  My body was stiff and sore from the rest I got while belaying.
  He sat up and grimaced a little because his back ached, his entire body was stiff and his feet were cold.
  With intuitive insight, they will begin to recognize when their body is stiff, sore, tired or emotionally drained.
  A little into the morning saw all of us grimacing over our stiff bodies - the outcome of the previous day's water pursuits!
  His muscles were stiff and sore, and his body was tired.
  Her entire body was stiff and sore, and she was cold to the bone.
  My legs were stiff and a little sore from sitting still so long.
  He stood up, stretching limbs that had become stiff from the cramped surroundings.
  Now that the adrenaline had worn off, and I had sat for a minute, my whole body was stiff and sore.
  The goal of treatment is to control pain, to prevent joints from losing motion, and to help already stiff joints move more easily.
  His entire body was stiff and sore from his less than ideal sleeping conditions.
  As I woke up, my whole body was sore and stiff from all the pain and the prolonged exposure to the rough surface of the rooftop.
  ‘My body was very stiff at first especially because of my old age,’ Shen said.
  I had slept cramped up on a wooden floor, and my whole body was now stiff.
  Synonyms
  aching, achy, painful
4. 1.4 (of a person or their manner) not relaxed or friendly; constrained.
  （人或其态度）拘谨的，局促的，不自然的；傲慢的
  she greeted him with stiff politeness
  她拘谨地向他有礼貌地打招呼。
  Example sentencesExamples
  He is stiff, self-conscious, grudging, coy and ungenerous.
  If you appear stiff, reserved, timid and insecure, they will feel repulsed.
  He seems to be a rather stiff and aloof character.
  He was the only one not stiff and unresponsive with worry.
  You have a melancholy disposition resulting in a shyness, or a formal and stiff manner of presenting yourself.
  They'd been distant and stiff with each other since the truth about the bet had come out.
  We discontinued our love charade, even with Rod present, and never gave more than a stiff and polite nod of greeting to one another.
  Dancing with Angelique was difficult at first, she refused to get to close to him, and was stiff and cold.
  Her tone is stiff and distant, and he doesn't answer, something she finds unsettling.
  Corrissa's stiff manner left her, and she ran frantically towards the door and immediately started pounding on it.
  Is he going to come across as stiff and wooden, or is he going to come across as a person that Americans can trust?
  Through the primaries, everyone said he could be aloof and cold, stiff and ambitious.
  Mel had never particularly liked the woman's stiff manner and perfect outward appearance.
  I also thought that the two of us needed to learn to relax around each other, for we had grown to be much too stiff and serious than friends should be.
  They come across as stiff and uninteresting, but that's exactly what the director wants from them.
  Continuing in his stiff, impassive way, Chris lifted Dion onto the rotten chair and wrapped the ropes around him and the chair.
  And although both Ruth and Colin are playing stiff British characters, they do manage some convincing chemistry.
  He was sincere but he was not adept at consolation so it came out stiff, wooden.
  Once relaxed and happy, Lena now seemed stiff, like a drill sergeant or something.
  First it suddenly hit her that she was stiff, even snappish, towards everyone but her closest friends, Mick and Reardon.
  Synonyms
  formal, reserved, unfriendly, chilly, cold, frigid, icy, austere, unrelaxed, brittle, stand-offish, wooden, forced, constrained, strained, stilted
2Severe or strong.
严格的，严重的；严厉的
they face stiff fines and a possible jail sentence
他们面临着很重的罚款和可能坐牢的处罚。
a stiff increase in taxes
税收的飞涨。
Example sentencesExamples
- This can be done, in part anyway, by stiff taxes on carbon dioxide emissions.
- They got fined $100 million which is a stiff fine by the Federal Reserve.
- The lawyers are arguing that that fine is just too stiff.
- After getting no less than two fines and a stiff warning from the electoral committee, they were found to have gone over the allowed limit of their budget.
- I still see a lot of people here using their phones normally here, but the fines are fairly stiff if you are caught.
- He was tried and found guilty by a British Consular Court: his punishment was a stiff fine and probation with a stern warning to desist.
- But the new rates put a premium on using those accounts for investments that would otherwise face stiff taxes - like bonds.
- Stiff penalties are to be introduced for people who make bogus insurance claims.
- Despite a variety of strong protections and stiff penalties for violations, this law continues to fall short of its target.
- The league should be proud of that, not hiding behind stiff fines and harsh rhetoric.
- The line, a reference to their recent stiff increases in license fees for cable operators, drew laughter and applause.
- Even the most stiff nominal tax rate would turn out to be a very meager tax burden for landowners.
- Any member that exceeds the 3% limit has two years in which to bring its deficit down, or it will face stiff fines from the Commission.
- Because of the stiff penalties for second children, many couples have unregistered babies.
- Individuals who decided not to take up the offer of making a voluntary disclosure will face prosecution, as well as stiff bills for tax, interest and penalties.
- "This is a fairly stiff penalty for what we did," said Norris.
- The fine should be stiff, possibly around Rs. 1,000.
- The relocation to suburbs in Dublin also allowed them avoid paying stiff city taxes.
- That commission recommended stiff increases in the payroll tax to create a surplus that would help fund the retirement of baby boomers down the road.
- By insisting, however, on such a stiff income tax rate, the allied powers had created ample opportunities for the scheme just described.
Synonyms
harsh, severe, hard, punitive, punishing, stringent, swingeing, crippling, rigorous, drastic, strong, heavy, draconian
1. 2.1 (of a wind) blowing strongly.
  （风）强烈的，强有力的
  a stiff breeze stirring the lake
  搅动湖水的一阵强风。
  Example sentencesExamples
  It will shatter, and then a stiff wind will blow though, and the pieces will slowly fall and scatter.
  As he spoke, it seemed the gods were heeding the many prayers at the Cork venue, as the sun shone brightly and a stiff wind blew on the opening day.
  Invariably, we were buffeted by a stiff wind which left you red-faced but invigorated.
  The last two mile on the home stretch was tough, a few hills and a stiff wind.
  Although the temperature hovered in the forties, a stiff wind had picked up.
  A stiff wind did nothing to dampen the atmosphere at a great day's racing at Lacken Strand on Sunday, May 19th.
  In a stiff wind on a gathering sea, they would have all the stability of a tin tray.
  In a traditional yurt, the framework is covered with felt mats and tied down with hair ropes to prevent the mats from blowing off in stiff winds.
  Fortunately, I'm currently in the midst of sobering up a little before I go to sleep, thanks to the stiff breeze blowing in through my bedroom window.
  It's obvious that the surface here is quite stable: even when stiff winds blow, there's hardly a speck of dust raised.
  But I am daunted at the challenges that paddling up-stream against an out-going tide and against a stiff wind must present.
  A stiff wind had kept up all night and she'd slept bad.
  A stiff breeze was blowing from the town end, to the Rangers' advantage.
  It was a consummate display of rugby into a stiff wind.
  I was getting used to the cold when I heard a sound in the distance, looked up, and saw the first signs of a stiff wind working its way toward me.
  The Pope, who aides say is losing sleep over the possibility of war, celebrated a Mass that began with a stiff wind blowing in from Siberia over the flat steppes and ended in sunshine.
  A fairly stiff breeze was blowing, but the branches of the willow trees never swayed.
  The last two miles on the home stretch were tough, with a few hills and a stiff wind but all got home safe without any falls.
  This game was played in horrid conditions and the stiff breeze that blew from one corner flag to the other made point taking arduous even at the best of times.
  A stiff wind blew through the woods, ruffling their hair.
  Synonyms
  strong, vigorous, powerful, brisk, fresh, gusty
2. 2.2 Requiring strength or effort; difficult.
  费劲的，艰难的；困难的
  a long stiff climb up the bare hillside
  爬那光秃秃的山坡是一段很长的艰难攀登。
  Example sentencesExamples
  It turned out to be a rewarding trip as they overcame the stiff challenge of their Wicklow opponents.
  Recent, but unconfirmed reports, suggests the stiff competition and generally tough trading conditions has not been as bad as previously expected.
  I would recommend doing between eight and 12 repetitions on a fairly stiff hill about 800 metres long.
  However, they have the foundations of what will provide a stiff challenge for the county's elite forces.
  Still, the game proved an outstanding one and would have brought the Mayo players on a lot and ready for the stiff challenge that the Ulster champions will provide.
  The news of increase in sales tax on diesel had met with stiff resistance from petrol pump dealers, who had threatened to go on a strike in protest against it.
  Be prepared for a stiff climb, but the sundial and the view of Houghton and Hillbrow is worth the huffing and puffing.
  And walkers, too, are in for some pretty stiff challenges once they leave the paths.
  Mind you, it's up against stiff competition from University Challenge.
  You can drive to the base of the rock but it is a fairly stiff climb from there, although it only takes about five minutes.
  The course was cruel to the runners, presenting them with with five stiff hill climbs to negotiate in the last 15 km.
  However, outside of China, in Japan for instance, such an effort will meet stiff resistance from habit users and from simple economic forces.
  A stiff ride on the flats along a creek-bed exhilarated him and sharpened his bloodlust.
  The mens team also faces a stiff challenge when they take on Club Amber.
  Naturally, there is some stiff opposition waiting for you at nearly every turn.
  Once more, firm sand provided a gentle walking surface until almost the end of the beach, where we rested before the short but stiff climb to the heathland above the cliffs.
  Dave, the lodge manager, sets a stiff pace uphill.
  Needless to say, what sounds like a reasonable idea met with stiff resistance.
  Since the club opened it has notched up wins against some very stiff competition.
  From there a very stiff climb through what is still called ‘Sullivan road’ took us to Kundhesappe and then to Doddabetta foothill.
  Synonyms
  difficult, hard, arduous, tough, strenuous, laborious, uphill, exacting, demanding, formidable, challenging, punishing, back-breaking, gruelling, herculean
3. 2.3 (of an alcoholic drink) strong.
  （酒）浓的，烈性的
  a stiff measure of brandy
  一杯很浓的白兰地。
  Example sentencesExamples
  By the end of the evening, most of my guests had settled back into their seats with satisfied grins and a stiff drink or smoke in hand as ordering took place.
  The General was pouring himself a stiff brandy with shaking hands.
  Bowles reassures her with a stiff whisky and a clipped certainty that everything will be back to normal tomorrow.
  I don't know why - I'm not a smoker but a stiff drink and a cigarette seemed to take my mind off the events for a moment.
  She shut the door, sealing herself off from the noise, and poured herself a stiff drink.
  And it's been the kind of week so far that makes you want a nice stiff drink.
  We dropped his car off, and then drove over to the pub and continued with another couple of stiff drinks.
  We banned all the men while we were doing the photo shoot and had a stiff drink afterwards.
  She calmed down only after a stiff drink at the reception.
  She could do with a stiff drink after all the riding and running she'd done today.
  I suspect we may all need a stiff drink by the time this is over.
  I fancy a stiff drink this lunchtime to steady my nerves!
  His disgust with himself and his actions inspired the need for a stiff drink.
  I'm going to go have a stiff drink and try to forget I ever heard about this.
  Alternatively, drop anchor, pour a stiff drink and soak up the sun!
  Someday I'm going to think about all the time I've wasted and need a stiff drink.
  I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife and maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep.
  I don't drink at lunchtime but I like a stiff whisky at 6.30 in the evening and perhaps another later on.
  Keats spluttered and coughed to full wakefulness, and steadied himself with a stiff brandy.
  Synonyms
  strong, potent, alcoholic, spirituous, intoxicant
3stiff withinformal predicative Full of.
the place is stiff with alarm systems
那地方布满了警报系统。
4— stiffinformal Having a specified unpleasant feeling to an extreme extent.
〈非正式〉（不好的感觉）十分，极其
she was scared stiff
她极其害怕。
I was bored stiff with my project
我对我的计划极为厌烦。
Example sentencesExamples
- I cannot speak for Xander, but I was still scared stiff.
- Actually, they look bored stiff, but you see his point.
- It might be fun and it would certainly beat sitting here bored stiff!
- But only the father cares enough to make sure he's scared stiff not to do something like that again.
- Andy pleaded from the hallway seeming utterly scared stiff.
- Much of the public was and still is scared stiff of crime.
- She sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup and sat on the bed, bored stiff.
- I couldn't be a model nowadays, I'd be bored stiff.
- Fulner sat in his chair for a few moments, scared stiff, before regaining his composure and speaking.
- "They'll see that in the paper and think I'm scared stiff," he said.
- One is that much of the public is scared stiff of crime.
- She was worn out, scared stiff, her heart was beating furiously, and her lungs were screaming in protest with every breath of icy air she inhaled.
- It was obvious these guys were scared stiff of something, but what?
- He sent an ambulance to me, and while I waited for it, I sat on the curb, scared stiff, clutching a matted, long-haired tabby cat.
- While my heart had wanted so much to stay with him, to never leave him, my mind was still scared stiff of getting close to anyone and had needed to get far away.
- Everything I had thought to be possible was true, and I didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared stiff.
- I swerved to the left, scared stiff at what had just happened.
5Bridge
A card that is the only one of its suit in a hand.
two red aces and a stiff club

nounstifstɪf

informal

1A dead body.
死尸
Example sentencesExamples
- A friend of my father's worked for the London Transport Police and part of his job involved scraping stiffs off the tracks.
- There's a whole craft industry based on vehicles for transferring stiffs from the chapel to the boneyard.
- When the bodies of various stiffs start disappearing from the local morgue, the police are baffled as to where they've gone.
Synonyms
corpse, cadaver, dead body, body, remains, skeleton, relics
2North American A boring, conventional person.
〈主北美〉令人讨厌的人，因循守旧的人
ordinary working stiffs in respectable offices
在体面办公室里工作的普通而且因循守旧的人。
Example sentencesExamples
- The cops weren't hugely heroic figures, but working stiffs, not even remotely glamorous.
- Most of the politicians are sensibly out of town, but the poor working stiffs hardly get away at all.
- And instead of the magic of the performers feeding on the collective, often irrational consciousness of a celebratory theatre crowd, you've now got actors singing for their supper in front of row upon row of wealthy stiffs.
- Well, if you're a typical working stiff in today's corporate world, you're not getting any bargains from the big executives upstairs.
- They performed lewd acts, taunted the police, harassed the stiffs and produced great art.
- This comes from a working class stiff who has a 14-year old son who skates.
- Never once do you buy him as a beat down working class stiff who just needs a break to get what he more or less rightfully deserves.
- At least the kids in the first one had chemistry; here the cheerleaders are dull and the dudes are stiffs.
- True, more than a few stiffs have taken cover behind the blue shirt down the years, and several others could have made a fair living selling it, but none went as far as the ultimate sacrifice.
- I guess working stiffs like their comedians to be aggressively stupid and insultingly formulaic.
- He looks like he's going to be your typical good looking stiff, but once he gets to talk a bit, he is quite natural and has some comic skills.
- But, hey: grin and bear it, because at least you're not hanging out with those stiffs from work, right?
- But working stiffs who slave all day to pay the Hydro bills can sometimes barely get a peek out the window as the circus rolls by.
- Never have the ordinary people of America, the decent, working stiffs, needed and deserved a great tribute more urgently.
- He is on great terms with all the working stiffs and is a popular executive.
- I've always thought of him as a rather dull-witted stiff.
- So, unlike the bigwigs who cashed in big on stock options, look for him to remain a working stiff.
- Don't trust that future working stiffs will pay your way - the system may be entirely different by then!
- Four working stiffs shack up to make the greatest rock record of recent times.
- With all that cash tucked under the mattress, it is not easy for a working stiff to understand why he wants to do an Edinburgh show.
1. 2.1 A fellow; an ordinary person.
  the lucky stiff!
  Example sentencesExamples
  I would issue a fiat that the NFL has to change its overtime rule, so that both teams must be given a chance to score, not just the lucky stiffs who win the coin flip.

verbstifstɪf

[with object]informal

1North American Cheat (someone) out of something, especially money.
〈北美〉欺骗，欺诈
several workers were stiffed out of their pay
Example sentencesExamples
- Did they think he would just disappear after the press conference got stiffed by the media?
- However, the high-living deadbeat dad who stiffs his kids is largely a mythical creature.
- And when you stiff the person, not sending them any drugs or explosives at all - that's all profit right there.
- We do know they have been steadily alienating your regular customers, stiffing them on money owed, making a terrible mess of the legitimate business, while all the while on paper your company is soaring.
- I don't want to stiff her if she's due a partial fee, but I'm afraid that if I let her know she'll try to overcharge me.
- So if the insurance companies are going to stiff Americans when it comes to affordable prescription drugs, somebody has to do the job.
- One show I saw involved a woman who'd stiffed an appliance store on a refrigerator and then had the gall to sue it for harassment when it tried to collect.
- The sellers will have to show that the selling entities received fair value and that the transaction had economic substance above and beyond merely stiffing their creditors.
- God only knows in what other ways they are stiffing society.
- After the media glare faded, the team was stiffed for $43,000 of the prize money.
- As we noted last night, he seems to have stiffed the Times.
- She was upset after being stiffed for $11 by her employer, a white woman for whom she worked as a maid.
- The claim here is that even if the system does not go bankrupt, future retirees still will be stiffed because the trust fund has been looted repeatedly by previous presidents to finance their pet political projects.
- If people are unaware, it is a crime to stiff people on wages, even the homeless.
- Chances are that he wants to stiff you for the deposit and then he will have it patched.
- Workers, in other words, will be stiffed again.
- I'd love to sign up for the Secret Santa thing this year, too, but I got stiffed last year, so it sort of left a bad taste in my mouth.
- So, just out of curiosity, did anyone else get stiffed by their Secret Santa?
- I got stiffed the first (and, consequently, only) time I participated in one of those Secret Santa wish list things.
- In the past, East Baghdad has been stiffed and not given its fair share.
Synonyms
swindle, defraud, deceive, trick, dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, gull
1. 1.1 Fail to leave (someone) a tip.
  不给…小费
  Example sentencesExamples
  Every morning the same four guys came in, ate the same eggs-and-potatoes configurations, repeated the same harangue about how I was personally responsible for their lack of overtime, and stiffed me.
  Another spends 10 minutes squatting by the table, recounting how his previous tables stiffed him when the computers overheated and meals didn't arrive on time.
  However, I have never ever completely stiffed a waitress/waiter as much as I would have liked to.
  "Sending a message" by stiffing a rude waiter or bellhop does not work.
  If you leave a quarter you might as well be stiffing me.
  I can tell you I never stiffed a waiter in a French restaurant.
2North American Ignore deliberately; snub.
〈北美〉冷落，怠慢
Example sentencesExamples
- He was also stiffing the White House press corps.
- He had stiffed the United Nations many, many times.
- He stiffed me because he wanted to hang out with his buddies and smoke.
- Does the outcome of the recall show that you can get away with bypassing, stiffing, and otherwise not engaging the mainstream media and still get elected governor of California?
- But having stiffed the world and threatened U.S. allies, they may be rewarded with trade, aid and the global respect they've coveted for decades.
- And the two best ways to keep people stupid and nodding is by shutting down the information flow and by stiffing the press.
- But to follow up on Bernie's question, does the vice president pay a price for stiffing the press as he has done for two months now?
- And in this case, he was very interested in all of the questions, did not stiff them or brush them off.
- And yet, he stiffed the police for a couple of months and, even to this day, has not spoken out publicly.
- And on that very point, is it reasonable for journalists to be criticizing him for basically staying silent, saying nothing, and stiffing the press for seven long weeks?
Synonyms
insult, slight, affront, humiliate, treat disrespectfully
1. 2.1 Fail to appear for a promised engagement or appointment.
  he stiffed us and didn't show up
3Kill.
杀死
I want to get those pigs who stiffed your doctor
Synonyms
murder, cause the death of, end the life of, take the life of, do away with, make away with, assassinate, do to death, eliminate, terminate, dispatch, finish off, put to death, execute
1. 3.1no object Be unsuccessful.
  失败，不成功
  as soon as he began singing about the wife and kids, his albums stiffed
  他一开始歌唱他的妻子和孩子，他的唱片就不灵了。
  Example sentencesExamples
  A few more singles stiffed in 1965/66 before the band ground to a halt sometime in 1967.
  Ultimately, we wound up doing one television show as guild members, the record started stiffing and the band broke up.
  It stiffed, but his performance sticks in the memory and it's that ability which will see him through any critical fall-out.
  The press created this New Glam thing with Verve and Suede but our third single stiffed and eventually we were dropped.
  I'll bet you his last album was more successful than an American superstar whose last album stiffed.
  All right, but are they secretly pleased that her most recent single stiffed at number 52?
  Every bit as ghastly as it sounds, it stiffed completely.
  A publisher paid an advance of more than $500,000 for it, it became a book that attracted rave reviews, and it stiffed in its first week.

Phrases

stiff as a board

informal (of a person or part of the body) extremely stiff.
（人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的
Example sentencesExamples
- He was shocked, so much so that he was holding his breath and was as stiff as a board.
- She looked tired with dark circles beneath her eyes and she was as stiff as a board, trying to fight the pain.
- Dustin fought to stay up, to stay stiff as a board, but eventually the bear succeeded in knocking him over.
- By the time I hit the beginning of Toronto my feet were killing me and I was stiff as a board all over.
- I made my back as stiff as a board, glaring the whole while at the poor boy.
- He nodded and reached for her shoulder and found it to be as stiff as a board.
- He would lay in his bed flat on his back, stiff as a board, tightly clutching his blanket with the fingers of both hands.
- He uttered a faint, choking gasp, and toppled over backwards, stiff as a board.
- He put his arms around her and at first she resisted in the only way she could: by remaining stiff as a board.
- The first sign of her low mood was that she was actually slouching and not sitting as stiff as a board, as she usually did.

a stiff upper lip

A quality of uncomplaining stoicism.
坚定沉着，感情不外露，坚忍
senior managers had to keep a stiff upper lip and remain optimistic
高级经理们必须坚定沉着，始终保持乐观。
Example sentencesExamples
- At least I don't have to keep a stiff upper lip anymore.
- I should keep a stiff upper lip and take the high road and all that, so I will.
- Other Americans are told to keep a stiff upper lip.
- Then, as now, the Londoners had a stiff upper lip.
- Most of the women were crying, but I kept a stiff upper lip.
- Upper-class Englishmen pride themselves on discretion and a stiff upper lip, deeply unfashionable human qualities in these tabloid times.
- Keeping a stiff upper lip during such tribulations, she writes, is what one must do.
- But, if the governing class goes about business as usual, that's not a stiff upper lip but a death wish.
- It is quite humorous to see the actors work through their lines with a stiff upper lip - even they can't seem to believe what they are being asked to say.
- But aren't news people supposed to keep a stiff upper lip?

Origin

Old English stīf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stijf.

词汇	stiff
释义	Definition of stiff in English: stiff adjective stɪfstɪf 1Not easily bent or changed in shape; rigid. 不易弯曲的；硬的 a stiff black collar 一个硬黑领。 stiff cardboard 硬纸板。 Example sentencesExamples The plans are in PDF format for easy printing and pasting onto stiff cardboard. If your elbows get too straight they will be stiff and you can easily get pulled out of the saddle. He rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them up from the stiff black tux he was wearing. He's wearing a white shirt with a stiff collar, black trousers with braces, and dancing shoes with leather spats. His brother certainly looked uncomfortable in his city clothes, pulling constantly at his stiff collar. She didn't move from her spot at all and looked as rigid and stiff as a statue even as her eyes watered from the smoke. While indoors, place a piece of the paper on stiff cardboard. The pants were stiff, inflexible, and suffered the same problem. The duo have dispensed with plastic CD casings and fashioned their covers from stiff cardboard. Arterial damage affects the elasticity of arteries, which become stiff and rigid. For example, tubing made from cobalt alloys can be used in the production of rigid or stiff endoscopes for use in certain diagnostic procedures. The collar of the stiff shirt was chafing slightly around the scars on his neck, and the ponytail he'd put his hair in was so tight it was liable to give him a headache. He wore a long black cloak over a fine-pressed suit, with a high stiff collar. As he said this, I indeed felt my arms become rigid and stiff. The pile will be stiff and easily scratch away when it's ready. If an electric fan is not feasible, try to fan the seedling with a piece of stiff paper or cardboard a couple of times a day. Another image shows him in black coat, pale trousers, stiff white collar, and hat. By breaking in your shoes at home, you won't be at the center struggling through games in stiff, rigid shoes the first time out. The stiff black rubber fins allowed bodysurfers to catch bigger waves, then angle across their faces. Scrape away as much wax as you can using your finger, a plastic kitchen scraper, or a stiff piece of cardboard. Synonyms rigid, hard, firm, hardened, inelastic, non-flexible, inflexible, ungiving rare impliable, unmalleable 1.1 (of a semi-liquid substance) viscous; thick. （半流质）黏稠的；稠的 add wheat until the mixture is quite stiff 添加小麦直到混合物变稠。 Example sentencesExamples Whip the cream in a large chilled bowl until lusciously thick but not stiff. If the dough is too stiff a little more coconut milk could be added. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until thick and stiff. Whisk together the double and single cream until thick, but not stiff: this takes longer than usual because of the addition of the single cream. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until firm but not stiff, and fold the two mixtures together. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes. Mix together roughly four tablespoons of flour and one tablespoon of water with enough water to form a paste - a thick, stiff paste will give you a raised cross and a looser paste will give you a flat cross. The water content of doughnut mixtures is important; the dough must be stiff enough to be shaped, but still contain plenty of moisture to give the light spongy texture of the cooked product. 1.2 Not moving as freely as is usual or desirable; difficult to turn or operate. 不灵活的，难活动的；难转向的，难转动的 a stiff drawer 难以拉开的抽屉。 the shower tap is a little stiff 淋浴的水龙头有点不太灵活。 Example sentencesExamples It is harder for them to dress in and out of equipment, propel themselves through the water and operate stiff power inflators or releases, for example. Typical aging of these windows involves corrosion of the metal, stiff operation, inability to close and multiple layers of paint. 1.3 (of a person or part of the body) unable to move easily and without pain. （人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的 he was stiff from sitting on the desk 由于坐在桌子上，他身体有点僵硬。 a stiff back 一个硬黑领。 Example sentencesExamples Her body was stiff and her joints screamed with every movement, but she knew that movement would do her good. His muscles were stiff and sore, and his body was tired. As I woke up, my whole body was sore and stiff from all the pain and the prolonged exposure to the rough surface of the rooftop. My body was stiff and sore from the rest I got while belaying. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, and I had sat for a minute, my whole body was stiff and sore. His entire body was stiff and sore from his less than ideal sleeping conditions. With intuitive insight, they will begin to recognize when their body is stiff, sore, tired or emotionally drained. He was weak and his aching body was still stiff from the beating. He sat up and grimaced a little because his back ached, his entire body was stiff and his feet were cold. I had slept cramped up on a wooden floor, and my whole body was now stiff. My legs were stiff and a little sore from sitting still so long. ‘My body was very stiff at first especially because of my old age,’ Shen said. I found that the hardest thing in my quest to lose weight and get fit was the pain - I was so stiff at first. Her entire body was stiff and sore, and she was cold to the bone. The goal of treatment is to control pain, to prevent joints from losing motion, and to help already stiff joints move more easily. He stood up, stretching limbs that had become stiff from the cramped surroundings. A little into the morning saw all of us grimacing over our stiff bodies - the outcome of the previous day's water pursuits! Synonyms aching, achy, painful arthritic, rheumatic taut, tight informal creaky, rheumaticky, rusty archaic stark 1.4 (of a person or their manner) not relaxed or friendly; constrained. （人或其态度）拘谨的，局促的，不自然的；傲慢的 she greeted him with stiff politeness 她拘谨地向他有礼貌地打招呼。 Example sentencesExamples Is he going to come across as stiff and wooden, or is he going to come across as a person that Americans can trust? Continuing in his stiff, impassive way, Chris lifted Dion onto the rotten chair and wrapped the ropes around him and the chair. We discontinued our love charade, even with Rod present, and never gave more than a stiff and polite nod of greeting to one another. I also thought that the two of us needed to learn to relax around each other, for we had grown to be much too stiff and serious than friends should be. He was the only one not stiff and unresponsive with worry. If you appear stiff, reserved, timid and insecure, they will feel repulsed. Through the primaries, everyone said he could be aloof and cold, stiff and ambitious. He seems to be a rather stiff and aloof character. Mel had never particularly liked the woman's stiff manner and perfect outward appearance. Dancing with Angelique was difficult at first, she refused to get to close to him, and was stiff and cold. Once relaxed and happy, Lena now seemed stiff, like a drill sergeant or something. Corrissa's stiff manner left her, and she ran frantically towards the door and immediately started pounding on it. First it suddenly hit her that she was stiff, even snappish, towards everyone but her closest friends, Mick and Reardon. He is stiff, self-conscious, grudging, coy and ungenerous. And although both Ruth and Colin are playing stiff British characters, they do manage some convincing chemistry. They come across as stiff and uninteresting, but that's exactly what the director wants from them. You have a melancholy disposition resulting in a shyness, or a formal and stiff manner of presenting yourself. He was sincere but he was not adept at consolation so it came out stiff, wooden. Her tone is stiff and distant, and he doesn't answer, something she finds unsettling. They'd been distant and stiff with each other since the truth about the bet had come out. Synonyms formal, reserved, unfriendly, chilly, cold, frigid, icy, austere, unrelaxed, brittle, stand-offish, wooden, forced, constrained, strained, stilted prim, punctilious, stuffy informal starchy, uptight 2Severe or strong. 严格的，严重的；严厉的 they face stiff fines and a possible jail sentence 他们面临着很重的罚款和可能坐牢的处罚。 a stiff increase in taxes 税收的飞涨。 Example sentencesExamples He was tried and found guilty by a British Consular Court: his punishment was a stiff fine and probation with a stern warning to desist. Because of the stiff penalties for second children, many couples have unregistered babies. They got fined $100 million which is a stiff fine by the Federal Reserve. But the new rates put a premium on using those accounts for investments that would otherwise face stiff taxes - like bonds. Individuals who decided not to take up the offer of making a voluntary disclosure will face prosecution, as well as stiff bills for tax, interest and penalties. Despite a variety of strong protections and stiff penalties for violations, this law continues to fall short of its target. That commission recommended stiff increases in the payroll tax to create a surplus that would help fund the retirement of baby boomers down the road. The fine should be stiff, possibly around Rs. 1,000. Any member that exceeds the 3% limit has two years in which to bring its deficit down, or it will face stiff fines from the Commission. After getting no less than two fines and a stiff warning from the electoral committee, they were found to have gone over the allowed limit of their budget. Stiff penalties are to be introduced for people who make bogus insurance claims. The lawyers are arguing that that fine is just too stiff. By insisting, however, on such a stiff income tax rate, the allied powers had created ample opportunities for the scheme just described. The league should be proud of that, not hiding behind stiff fines and harsh rhetoric. "This is a fairly stiff penalty for what we did," said Norris. Even the most stiff nominal tax rate would turn out to be a very meager tax burden for landowners. The relocation to suburbs in Dublin also allowed them avoid paying stiff city taxes. I still see a lot of people here using their phones normally here, but the fines are fairly stiff if you are caught. The line, a reference to their recent stiff increases in license fees for cable operators, drew laughter and applause. This can be done, in part anyway, by stiff taxes on carbon dioxide emissions. Synonyms harsh, severe, hard, punitive, punishing, stringent, swingeing, crippling, rigorous, drastic, strong, heavy, draconian 2.1 (of a wind) blowing strongly. （风）强烈的，强有力的 a stiff breeze stirring the lake 搅动湖水的一阵强风。 Example sentencesExamples The Pope, who aides say is losing sleep over the possibility of war, celebrated a Mass that began with a stiff wind blowing in from Siberia over the flat steppes and ended in sunshine. It will shatter, and then a stiff wind will blow though, and the pieces will slowly fall and scatter. The last two miles on the home stretch were tough, with a few hills and a stiff wind but all got home safe without any falls. A stiff wind blew through the woods, ruffling their hair. A fairly stiff breeze was blowing, but the branches of the willow trees never swayed. Invariably, we were buffeted by a stiff wind which left you red-faced but invigorated. But I am daunted at the challenges that paddling up-stream against an out-going tide and against a stiff wind must present. It was a consummate display of rugby into a stiff wind. A stiff breeze was blowing from the town end, to the Rangers' advantage. A stiff wind did nothing to dampen the atmosphere at a great day's racing at Lacken Strand on Sunday, May 19th. This game was played in horrid conditions and the stiff breeze that blew from one corner flag to the other made point taking arduous even at the best of times. It's obvious that the surface here is quite stable: even when stiff winds blow, there's hardly a speck of dust raised. In a stiff wind on a gathering sea, they would have all the stability of a tin tray. As he spoke, it seemed the gods were heeding the many prayers at the Cork venue, as the sun shone brightly and a stiff wind blew on the opening day. A stiff wind had kept up all night and she'd slept bad. The last two mile on the home stretch was tough, a few hills and a stiff wind. I was getting used to the cold when I heard a sound in the distance, looked up, and saw the first signs of a stiff wind working its way toward me. Fortunately, I'm currently in the midst of sobering up a little before I go to sleep, thanks to the stiff breeze blowing in through my bedroom window. Although the temperature hovered in the forties, a stiff wind had picked up. In a traditional yurt, the framework is covered with felt mats and tied down with hair ropes to prevent the mats from blowing off in stiff winds. Synonyms strong, vigorous, powerful, brisk, fresh, gusty howling 2.2 Requiring strength or effort; difficult. 费劲的，艰难的；困难的 a long stiff climb up the bare hillside 爬那光秃秃的山坡是一段很长的艰难攀登。 Example sentencesExamples From there a very stiff climb through what is still called ‘Sullivan road’ took us to Kundhesappe and then to Doddabetta foothill. Needless to say, what sounds like a reasonable idea met with stiff resistance. Naturally, there is some stiff opposition waiting for you at nearly every turn. However, they have the foundations of what will provide a stiff challenge for the county's elite forces. A stiff ride on the flats along a creek-bed exhilarated him and sharpened his bloodlust. You can drive to the base of the rock but it is a fairly stiff climb from there, although it only takes about five minutes. The mens team also faces a stiff challenge when they take on Club Amber. Be prepared for a stiff climb, but the sundial and the view of Houghton and Hillbrow is worth the huffing and puffing. Dave, the lodge manager, sets a stiff pace uphill. Still, the game proved an outstanding one and would have brought the Mayo players on a lot and ready for the stiff challenge that the Ulster champions will provide. Since the club opened it has notched up wins against some very stiff competition. Recent, but unconfirmed reports, suggests the stiff competition and generally tough trading conditions has not been as bad as previously expected. The news of increase in sales tax on diesel had met with stiff resistance from petrol pump dealers, who had threatened to go on a strike in protest against it. Mind you, it's up against stiff competition from University Challenge. It turned out to be a rewarding trip as they overcame the stiff challenge of their Wicklow opponents. I would recommend doing between eight and 12 repetitions on a fairly stiff hill about 800 metres long. And walkers, too, are in for some pretty stiff challenges once they leave the paths. However, outside of China, in Japan for instance, such an effort will meet stiff resistance from habit users and from simple economic forces. Once more, firm sand provided a gentle walking surface until almost the end of the beach, where we rested before the short but stiff climb to the heathland above the cliffs. The course was cruel to the runners, presenting them with with five stiff hill climbs to negotiate in the last 15 km. Synonyms difficult, hard, arduous, tough, strenuous, laborious, uphill, exacting, demanding, formidable, challenging, punishing, back-breaking, gruelling, Herculean tiring, fatiguing, exhausting informal killing, hellish British informal knackering archaic toilsome 2.3 (of an alcoholic drink) strong. （酒）浓的，烈性的 a stiff measure of brandy 一杯很浓的白兰地。 Example sentencesExamples We dropped his car off, and then drove over to the pub and continued with another couple of stiff drinks. She calmed down only after a stiff drink at the reception. Bowles reassures her with a stiff whisky and a clipped certainty that everything will be back to normal tomorrow. I suspect we may all need a stiff drink by the time this is over. I fancy a stiff drink this lunchtime to steady my nerves! Someday I'm going to think about all the time I've wasted and need a stiff drink. She shut the door, sealing herself off from the noise, and poured herself a stiff drink. By the end of the evening, most of my guests had settled back into their seats with satisfied grins and a stiff drink or smoke in hand as ordering took place. Alternatively, drop anchor, pour a stiff drink and soak up the sun! His disgust with himself and his actions inspired the need for a stiff drink. We banned all the men while we were doing the photo shoot and had a stiff drink afterwards. I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife and maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep. Keats spluttered and coughed to full wakefulness, and steadied himself with a stiff brandy. I'm going to go have a stiff drink and try to forget I ever heard about this. I don't drink at lunchtime but I like a stiff whisky at 6.30 in the evening and perhaps another later on. The General was pouring himself a stiff brandy with shaking hands. And it's been the kind of week so far that makes you want a nice stiff drink. She could do with a stiff drink after all the riding and running she'd done today. I don't know why - I'm not a smoker but a stiff drink and a cigarette seemed to take my mind off the events for a moment. Synonyms strong, potent, alcoholic, spirituous, intoxicant 3stiff withinformal Full of. the place is stiff with alarm systems 那地方布满了警报系统。 4— stiffinformal Having a specified unpleasant feeling to an extreme extent. 〈非正式〉（不好的感觉）十分，极其 she was scared stiff 她极其害怕。 I was bored stiff with my project 我对我的计划极为厌烦。 Example sentencesExamples While my heart had wanted so much to stay with him, to never leave him, my mind was still scared stiff of getting close to anyone and had needed to get far away. Everything I had thought to be possible was true, and I didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared stiff. She sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup and sat on the bed, bored stiff. Andy pleaded from the hallway seeming utterly scared stiff. Much of the public was and still is scared stiff of crime. But only the father cares enough to make sure he's scared stiff not to do something like that again. She was worn out, scared stiff, her heart was beating furiously, and her lungs were screaming in protest with every breath of icy air she inhaled. It was obvious these guys were scared stiff of something, but what? Actually, they look bored stiff, but you see his point. "They'll see that in the paper and think I'm scared stiff," he said. It might be fun and it would certainly beat sitting here bored stiff! I couldn't be a model nowadays, I'd be bored stiff. I swerved to the left, scared stiff at what had just happened. He sent an ambulance to me, and while I waited for it, I sat on the curb, scared stiff, clutching a matted, long-haired tabby cat. One is that much of the public is scared stiff of crime. I cannot speak for Xander, but I was still scared stiff. Fulner sat in his chair for a few moments, scared stiff, before regaining his composure and speaking. noun stɪfstɪf informal 1A dead body. 死尸 Example sentencesExamples A friend of my father's worked for the London Transport Police and part of his job involved scraping stiffs off the tracks. When the bodies of various stiffs start disappearing from the local morgue, the police are baffled as to where they've gone. There's a whole craft industry based on vehicles for transferring stiffs from the chapel to the boneyard. Synonyms corpse, cadaver, dead body, body, remains, skeleton, relics 2North American A boring, conventional person. 〈主北美〉令人讨厌的人，因循守旧的人 ordinary working stiffs in respectable offices 在体面办公室里工作的普通而且因循守旧的人。 Example sentencesExamples But working stiffs who slave all day to pay the Hydro bills can sometimes barely get a peek out the window as the circus rolls by. He is on great terms with all the working stiffs and is a popular executive. I guess working stiffs like their comedians to be aggressively stupid and insultingly formulaic. Well, if you're a typical working stiff in today's corporate world, you're not getting any bargains from the big executives upstairs. So, unlike the bigwigs who cashed in big on stock options, look for him to remain a working stiff. And instead of the magic of the performers feeding on the collective, often irrational consciousness of a celebratory theatre crowd, you've now got actors singing for their supper in front of row upon row of wealthy stiffs. They performed lewd acts, taunted the police, harassed the stiffs and produced great art. Most of the politicians are sensibly out of town, but the poor working stiffs hardly get away at all. True, more than a few stiffs have taken cover behind the blue shirt down the years, and several others could have made a fair living selling it, but none went as far as the ultimate sacrifice. At least the kids in the first one had chemistry; here the cheerleaders are dull and the dudes are stiffs. Never once do you buy him as a beat down working class stiff who just needs a break to get what he more or less rightfully deserves. He looks like he's going to be your typical good looking stiff, but once he gets to talk a bit, he is quite natural and has some comic skills. I've always thought of him as a rather dull-witted stiff. Never have the ordinary people of America, the decent, working stiffs, needed and deserved a great tribute more urgently. But, hey: grin and bear it, because at least you're not hanging out with those stiffs from work, right? Four working stiffs shack up to make the greatest rock record of recent times. This comes from a working class stiff who has a 14-year old son who skates. The cops weren't hugely heroic figures, but working stiffs, not even remotely glamorous. Don't trust that future working stiffs will pay your way - the system may be entirely different by then! With all that cash tucked under the mattress, it is not easy for a working stiff to understand why he wants to do an Edinburgh show. 3the stiffsBritish A sports club's reserve team. 〈英〉（体育俱乐部的）后备队，候补队 Example sentencesExamples And, if he did not play ball, they could play him in the stiffs. And unfortunately that's what we saw from Becks in the Portsmouth game so that explains why I dropped him to play with the stiffs when the first team was at Blackburn. verb stɪfstɪf [with object]informal 1North American Cheat (someone) out of something, especially money. 〈北美〉欺骗，欺诈 several workers were stiffed out of their pay Example sentencesExamples Did they think he would just disappear after the press conference got stiffed by the media? I got stiffed the first (and, consequently, only) time I participated in one of those Secret Santa wish list things. One show I saw involved a woman who'd stiffed an appliance store on a refrigerator and then had the gall to sue it for harassment when it tried to collect. And when you stiff the person, not sending them any drugs or explosives at all - that's all profit right there. After the media glare faded, the team was stiffed for $43,000 of the prize money. However, the high-living deadbeat dad who stiffs his kids is largely a mythical creature. In the past, East Baghdad has been stiffed and not given its fair share. I'd love to sign up for the Secret Santa thing this year, too, but I got stiffed last year, so it sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. Workers, in other words, will be stiffed again. So, just out of curiosity, did anyone else get stiffed by their Secret Santa? If people are unaware, it is a crime to stiff people on wages, even the homeless. The claim here is that even if the system does not go bankrupt, future retirees still will be stiffed because the trust fund has been looted repeatedly by previous presidents to finance their pet political projects. I don't want to stiff her if she's due a partial fee, but I'm afraid that if I let her know she'll try to overcharge me. She was upset after being stiffed for $11 by her employer, a white woman for whom she worked as a maid. God only knows in what other ways they are stiffing society. As we noted last night, he seems to have stiffed the Times. We do know they have been steadily alienating your regular customers, stiffing them on money owed, making a terrible mess of the legitimate business, while all the while on paper your company is soaring. Chances are that he wants to stiff you for the deposit and then he will have it patched. So if the insurance companies are going to stiff Americans when it comes to affordable prescription drugs, somebody has to do the job. The sellers will have to show that the selling entities received fair value and that the transaction had economic substance above and beyond merely stiffing their creditors. Synonyms swindle, defraud, deceive, trick, dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, gull 1.1 Fail to leave (someone) a tip. 不给…小费 Example sentencesExamples However, I have never ever completely stiffed a waitress/waiter as much as I would have liked to. Every morning the same four guys came in, ate the same eggs-and-potatoes configurations, repeated the same harangue about how I was personally responsible for their lack of overtime, and stiffed me. I can tell you I never stiffed a waiter in a French restaurant. "Sending a message" by stiffing a rude waiter or bellhop does not work. Another spends 10 minutes squatting by the table, recounting how his previous tables stiffed him when the computers overheated and meals didn't arrive on time. If you leave a quarter you might as well be stiffing me. 2North American Ignore (someone) deliberately; snub. 〈北美〉冷落，怠慢 the stars are notorious for stiffing their hosts and sponsors at banquets Example sentencesExamples And in this case, he was very interested in all of the questions, did not stiff them or brush them off. He had stiffed the United Nations many, many times. And yet, he stiffed the police for a couple of months and, even to this day, has not spoken out publicly. He was also stiffing the White House press corps. And the two best ways to keep people stupid and nodding is by shutting down the information flow and by stiffing the press. He stiffed me because he wanted to hang out with his buddies and smoke. And on that very point, is it reasonable for journalists to be criticizing him for basically staying silent, saying nothing, and stiffing the press for seven long weeks? But to follow up on Bernie's question, does the vice president pay a price for stiffing the press as he has done for two months now? But having stiffed the world and threatened U.S. allies, they may be rewarded with trade, aid and the global respect they've coveted for decades. Does the outcome of the recall show that you can get away with bypassing, stiffing, and otherwise not engaging the mainstream media and still get elected governor of California? Synonyms insult, slight, affront, humiliate, treat disrespectfully 3Kill (someone) I want to get those pigs who stiffed your doctor Synonyms murder, cause the death of, end the life of, take the life of, do away with, make away with, assassinate, do to death, eliminate, terminate, dispatch, finish off, put to death, execute 3.1no object (of a commercial venture or product) be unsuccessful. as soon as he began singing about the wife and kids, his albums stiffed 他一开始歌唱他的妻子和孩子，他的唱片就不灵了。 Example sentencesExamples Ultimately, we wound up doing one television show as guild members, the record started stiffing and the band broke up. Every bit as ghastly as it sounds, it stiffed completely. A publisher paid an advance of more than $500,000 for it, it became a book that attracted rave reviews, and it stiffed in its first week. A few more singles stiffed in 1965/66 before the band ground to a halt sometime in 1967. All right, but are they secretly pleased that her most recent single stiffed at number 52? The press created this New Glam thing with Verve and Suede but our third single stiffed and eventually we were dropped. I'll bet you his last album was more successful than an American superstar whose last album stiffed. It stiffed, but his performance sticks in the memory and it's that ability which will see him through any critical fall-out. Phrases stiff as a board informal (of a person or part of the body) extremely stiff. （人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的 Example sentencesExamples He nodded and reached for her shoulder and found it to be as stiff as a board. He was shocked, so much so that he was holding his breath and was as stiff as a board. He would lay in his bed flat on his back, stiff as a board, tightly clutching his blanket with the fingers of both hands. Dustin fought to stay up, to stay stiff as a board, but eventually the bear succeeded in knocking him over. By the time I hit the beginning of Toronto my feet were killing me and I was stiff as a board all over. He uttered a faint, choking gasp, and toppled over backwards, stiff as a board. She looked tired with dark circles beneath her eyes and she was as stiff as a board, trying to fight the pain. I made my back as stiff as a board, glaring the whole while at the poor boy. He put his arms around her and at first she resisted in the only way she could: by remaining stiff as a board. The first sign of her low mood was that she was actually slouching and not sitting as stiff as a board, as she usually did. a stiff upper lip A quality of uncomplaining stoicism. 坚定沉着，感情不外露，坚忍 senior managers had to keep a stiff upper lip and remain optimistic 高级经理们必须坚定沉着，始终保持乐观。 Example sentencesExamples Upper-class Englishmen pride themselves on discretion and a stiff upper lip, deeply unfashionable human qualities in these tabloid times. It is quite humorous to see the actors work through their lines with a stiff upper lip - even they can't seem to believe what they are being asked to say. Other Americans are told to keep a stiff upper lip. But, if the governing class goes about business as usual, that's not a stiff upper lip but a death wish. I should keep a stiff upper lip and take the high road and all that, so I will. Then, as now, the Londoners had a stiff upper lip. Most of the women were crying, but I kept a stiff upper lip. But aren't news people supposed to keep a stiff upper lip? At least I don't have to keep a stiff upper lip anymore. Keeping a stiff upper lip during such tribulations, she writes, is what one must do. Derivatives stiffish adjective I think it's male, and he has short, gray fur, black quills growing along his back, to a stiffish tail, and his mane has grown a lot since the last time I saw him, all white and shaggy. Example sentencesExamples But then, bridesmaids would never wear black in my own admittedly stiffish and old fashioned set. A rather stiffish breeze blew from the town end of the grounds, which the winners had first use of. The sides were tied and the former Ryan Cup champions faced into a stiffish breeze for the second period. Drain well and mash, adding the other ingredients, forming a stiffish dough. Origin Old English stīf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stijf. An Old English word, stiff goes back to a Germanic root meaning ‘inflexible’ and shares an Indo-European ancestry with Latin stipare ‘press, pack’ source of constipate (Late Middle English) and via Spanish the stevedore (late 18th century) who packs away cargo. As a noun meaning ‘a dead body’ it dates back to the USA of the 1850s. The stiffs, meaning the reserve team of a sports club, is a 1950s use. See also starve. The stiff upper lip, a quality of uncomplaining stoicism so often thought of as peculiarly British is apparently North American in origin. The earliest recorded example is from the US writer John Neal's novel The Down Easters (1833): ‘What's the use o' boo-hooin’?…Keep a stiff upper lip; no bones broke.’ Rhymes biff, cliff, glyph, if, kif, miff, niff, quiff, riff, skew-whiff, skiff, sniff, spliff, tiff, whiff adj.1 phr. Definition of stiff in US English: stiff adjectivestifstɪf 1Not easily bent or changed in shape; rigid. 不易弯曲的；硬的 a stiff black collar 一个硬黑领。 stiff cardboard 硬纸板。 Example sentencesExamples He rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them up from the stiff black tux he was wearing. For example, tubing made from cobalt alloys can be used in the production of rigid or stiff endoscopes for use in certain diagnostic procedures. Scrape away as much wax as you can using your finger, a plastic kitchen scraper, or a stiff piece of cardboard. Arterial damage affects the elasticity of arteries, which become stiff and rigid. While indoors, place a piece of the paper on stiff cardboard. He's wearing a white shirt with a stiff collar, black trousers with braces, and dancing shoes with leather spats. The plans are in PDF format for easy printing and pasting onto stiff cardboard. If your elbows get too straight they will be stiff and you can easily get pulled out of the saddle. The pants were stiff, inflexible, and suffered the same problem. He wore a long black cloak over a fine-pressed suit, with a high stiff collar. If an electric fan is not feasible, try to fan the seedling with a piece of stiff paper or cardboard a couple of times a day. His brother certainly looked uncomfortable in his city clothes, pulling constantly at his stiff collar. By breaking in your shoes at home, you won't be at the center struggling through games in stiff, rigid shoes the first time out. The collar of the stiff shirt was chafing slightly around the scars on his neck, and the ponytail he'd put his hair in was so tight it was liable to give him a headache. The stiff black rubber fins allowed bodysurfers to catch bigger waves, then angle across their faces. The duo have dispensed with plastic CD casings and fashioned their covers from stiff cardboard. Another image shows him in black coat, pale trousers, stiff white collar, and hat. She didn't move from her spot at all and looked as rigid and stiff as a statue even as her eyes watered from the smoke. As he said this, I indeed felt my arms become rigid and stiff. The pile will be stiff and easily scratch away when it's ready. Synonyms rigid, hard, firm, hardened, inelastic, non-flexible, inflexible, ungiving 1.1 (of a semiliquid substance) viscous; thick. （半流质）黏稠的；稠的 add wheat until the mixture is quite stiff 添加小麦直到混合物变稠。 Example sentencesExamples If the dough is too stiff a little more coconut milk could be added. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until firm but not stiff, and fold the two mixtures together. The water content of doughnut mixtures is important; the dough must be stiff enough to be shaped, but still contain plenty of moisture to give the light spongy texture of the cooked product. Whip the cream in a large chilled bowl until lusciously thick but not stiff. Whisk together the double and single cream until thick, but not stiff: this takes longer than usual because of the addition of the single cream. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until thick and stiff. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes. Mix together roughly four tablespoons of flour and one tablespoon of water with enough water to form a paste - a thick, stiff paste will give you a raised cross and a looser paste will give you a flat cross. 1.2 Not moving as freely as is usual or desirable; difficult to turn or operate. 不灵活的，难活动的；难转向的，难转动的 a stiff drawer 难以拉开的抽屉。 the faucet in the shower is a little stiff 淋浴的水龙头有点不太灵活。 Example sentencesExamples Typical aging of these windows involves corrosion of the metal, stiff operation, inability to close and multiple layers of paint. It is harder for them to dress in and out of equipment, propel themselves through the water and operate stiff power inflators or releases, for example. 1.3 (of a person or part of the body) unable to move easily and without pain. （人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的 he was stiff from sitting on the desk 由于坐在桌子上，他身体有点僵硬。 a stiff back 一个硬黑领。 Example sentencesExamples He was weak and his aching body was still stiff from the beating. I found that the hardest thing in my quest to lose weight and get fit was the pain - I was so stiff at first. Her body was stiff and her joints screamed with every movement, but she knew that movement would do her good. My body was stiff and sore from the rest I got while belaying. He sat up and grimaced a little because his back ached, his entire body was stiff and his feet were cold. With intuitive insight, they will begin to recognize when their body is stiff, sore, tired or emotionally drained. A little into the morning saw all of us grimacing over our stiff bodies - the outcome of the previous day's water pursuits! His muscles were stiff and sore, and his body was tired. Her entire body was stiff and sore, and she was cold to the bone. My legs were stiff and a little sore from sitting still so long. He stood up, stretching limbs that had become stiff from the cramped surroundings. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, and I had sat for a minute, my whole body was stiff and sore. The goal of treatment is to control pain, to prevent joints from losing motion, and to help already stiff joints move more easily. His entire body was stiff and sore from his less than ideal sleeping conditions. As I woke up, my whole body was sore and stiff from all the pain and the prolonged exposure to the rough surface of the rooftop. ‘My body was very stiff at first especially because of my old age,’ Shen said. I had slept cramped up on a wooden floor, and my whole body was now stiff. Synonyms aching, achy, painful 1.4 (of a person or their manner) not relaxed or friendly; constrained. （人或其态度）拘谨的，局促的，不自然的；傲慢的 she greeted him with stiff politeness 她拘谨地向他有礼貌地打招呼。 Example sentencesExamples He is stiff, self-conscious, grudging, coy and ungenerous. If you appear stiff, reserved, timid and insecure, they will feel repulsed. He seems to be a rather stiff and aloof character. He was the only one not stiff and unresponsive with worry. You have a melancholy disposition resulting in a shyness, or a formal and stiff manner of presenting yourself. They'd been distant and stiff with each other since the truth about the bet had come out. We discontinued our love charade, even with Rod present, and never gave more than a stiff and polite nod of greeting to one another. Dancing with Angelique was difficult at first, she refused to get to close to him, and was stiff and cold. Her tone is stiff and distant, and he doesn't answer, something she finds unsettling. Corrissa's stiff manner left her, and she ran frantically towards the door and immediately started pounding on it. Is he going to come across as stiff and wooden, or is he going to come across as a person that Americans can trust? Through the primaries, everyone said he could be aloof and cold, stiff and ambitious. Mel had never particularly liked the woman's stiff manner and perfect outward appearance. I also thought that the two of us needed to learn to relax around each other, for we had grown to be much too stiff and serious than friends should be. They come across as stiff and uninteresting, but that's exactly what the director wants from them. Continuing in his stiff, impassive way, Chris lifted Dion onto the rotten chair and wrapped the ropes around him and the chair. And although both Ruth and Colin are playing stiff British characters, they do manage some convincing chemistry. He was sincere but he was not adept at consolation so it came out stiff, wooden. Once relaxed and happy, Lena now seemed stiff, like a drill sergeant or something. First it suddenly hit her that she was stiff, even snappish, towards everyone but her closest friends, Mick and Reardon. Synonyms formal, reserved, unfriendly, chilly, cold, frigid, icy, austere, unrelaxed, brittle, stand-offish, wooden, forced, constrained, strained, stilted 2Severe or strong. 严格的，严重的；严厉的 they face stiff fines and a possible jail sentence 他们面临着很重的罚款和可能坐牢的处罚。 a stiff increase in taxes 税收的飞涨。 Example sentencesExamples This can be done, in part anyway, by stiff taxes on carbon dioxide emissions. They got fined $100 million which is a stiff fine by the Federal Reserve. The lawyers are arguing that that fine is just too stiff. After getting no less than two fines and a stiff warning from the electoral committee, they were found to have gone over the allowed limit of their budget. I still see a lot of people here using their phones normally here, but the fines are fairly stiff if you are caught. He was tried and found guilty by a British Consular Court: his punishment was a stiff fine and probation with a stern warning to desist. But the new rates put a premium on using those accounts for investments that would otherwise face stiff taxes - like bonds. Stiff penalties are to be introduced for people who make bogus insurance claims. Despite a variety of strong protections and stiff penalties for violations, this law continues to fall short of its target. The league should be proud of that, not hiding behind stiff fines and harsh rhetoric. The line, a reference to their recent stiff increases in license fees for cable operators, drew laughter and applause. Even the most stiff nominal tax rate would turn out to be a very meager tax burden for landowners. Any member that exceeds the 3% limit has two years in which to bring its deficit down, or it will face stiff fines from the Commission. Because of the stiff penalties for second children, many couples have unregistered babies. Individuals who decided not to take up the offer of making a voluntary disclosure will face prosecution, as well as stiff bills for tax, interest and penalties. "This is a fairly stiff penalty for what we did," said Norris. The fine should be stiff, possibly around Rs. 1,000. The relocation to suburbs in Dublin also allowed them avoid paying stiff city taxes. That commission recommended stiff increases in the payroll tax to create a surplus that would help fund the retirement of baby boomers down the road. By insisting, however, on such a stiff income tax rate, the allied powers had created ample opportunities for the scheme just described. Synonyms harsh, severe, hard, punitive, punishing, stringent, swingeing, crippling, rigorous, drastic, strong, heavy, draconian 2.1 (of a wind) blowing strongly. （风）强烈的，强有力的 a stiff breeze stirring the lake 搅动湖水的一阵强风。 Example sentencesExamples It will shatter, and then a stiff wind will blow though, and the pieces will slowly fall and scatter. As he spoke, it seemed the gods were heeding the many prayers at the Cork venue, as the sun shone brightly and a stiff wind blew on the opening day. Invariably, we were buffeted by a stiff wind which left you red-faced but invigorated. The last two mile on the home stretch was tough, a few hills and a stiff wind. Although the temperature hovered in the forties, a stiff wind had picked up. A stiff wind did nothing to dampen the atmosphere at a great day's racing at Lacken Strand on Sunday, May 19th. In a stiff wind on a gathering sea, they would have all the stability of a tin tray. In a traditional yurt, the framework is covered with felt mats and tied down with hair ropes to prevent the mats from blowing off in stiff winds. Fortunately, I'm currently in the midst of sobering up a little before I go to sleep, thanks to the stiff breeze blowing in through my bedroom window. It's obvious that the surface here is quite stable: even when stiff winds blow, there's hardly a speck of dust raised. But I am daunted at the challenges that paddling up-stream against an out-going tide and against a stiff wind must present. A stiff wind had kept up all night and she'd slept bad. A stiff breeze was blowing from the town end, to the Rangers' advantage. It was a consummate display of rugby into a stiff wind. I was getting used to the cold when I heard a sound in the distance, looked up, and saw the first signs of a stiff wind working its way toward me. The Pope, who aides say is losing sleep over the possibility of war, celebrated a Mass that began with a stiff wind blowing in from Siberia over the flat steppes and ended in sunshine. A fairly stiff breeze was blowing, but the branches of the willow trees never swayed. The last two miles on the home stretch were tough, with a few hills and a stiff wind but all got home safe without any falls. This game was played in horrid conditions and the stiff breeze that blew from one corner flag to the other made point taking arduous even at the best of times. A stiff wind blew through the woods, ruffling their hair. Synonyms strong, vigorous, powerful, brisk, fresh, gusty 2.2 Requiring strength or effort; difficult. 费劲的，艰难的；困难的 a long stiff climb up the bare hillside 爬那光秃秃的山坡是一段很长的艰难攀登。 Example sentencesExamples It turned out to be a rewarding trip as they overcame the stiff challenge of their Wicklow opponents. Recent, but unconfirmed reports, suggests the stiff competition and generally tough trading conditions has not been as bad as previously expected. I would recommend doing between eight and 12 repetitions on a fairly stiff hill about 800 metres long. However, they have the foundations of what will provide a stiff challenge for the county's elite forces. Still, the game proved an outstanding one and would have brought the Mayo players on a lot and ready for the stiff challenge that the Ulster champions will provide. The news of increase in sales tax on diesel had met with stiff resistance from petrol pump dealers, who had threatened to go on a strike in protest against it. Be prepared for a stiff climb, but the sundial and the view of Houghton and Hillbrow is worth the huffing and puffing. And walkers, too, are in for some pretty stiff challenges once they leave the paths. Mind you, it's up against stiff competition from University Challenge. You can drive to the base of the rock but it is a fairly stiff climb from there, although it only takes about five minutes. The course was cruel to the runners, presenting them with with five stiff hill climbs to negotiate in the last 15 km. However, outside of China, in Japan for instance, such an effort will meet stiff resistance from habit users and from simple economic forces. A stiff ride on the flats along a creek-bed exhilarated him and sharpened his bloodlust. The mens team also faces a stiff challenge when they take on Club Amber. Naturally, there is some stiff opposition waiting for you at nearly every turn. Once more, firm sand provided a gentle walking surface until almost the end of the beach, where we rested before the short but stiff climb to the heathland above the cliffs. Dave, the lodge manager, sets a stiff pace uphill. Needless to say, what sounds like a reasonable idea met with stiff resistance. Since the club opened it has notched up wins against some very stiff competition. From there a very stiff climb through what is still called ‘Sullivan road’ took us to Kundhesappe and then to Doddabetta foothill. Synonyms difficult, hard, arduous, tough, strenuous, laborious, uphill, exacting, demanding, formidable, challenging, punishing, back-breaking, gruelling, herculean 2.3 (of an alcoholic drink) strong. （酒）浓的，烈性的 a stiff measure of brandy 一杯很浓的白兰地。 Example sentencesExamples By the end of the evening, most of my guests had settled back into their seats with satisfied grins and a stiff drink or smoke in hand as ordering took place. The General was pouring himself a stiff brandy with shaking hands. Bowles reassures her with a stiff whisky and a clipped certainty that everything will be back to normal tomorrow. I don't know why - I'm not a smoker but a stiff drink and a cigarette seemed to take my mind off the events for a moment. She shut the door, sealing herself off from the noise, and poured herself a stiff drink. And it's been the kind of week so far that makes you want a nice stiff drink. We dropped his car off, and then drove over to the pub and continued with another couple of stiff drinks. We banned all the men while we were doing the photo shoot and had a stiff drink afterwards. She calmed down only after a stiff drink at the reception. She could do with a stiff drink after all the riding and running she'd done today. I suspect we may all need a stiff drink by the time this is over. I fancy a stiff drink this lunchtime to steady my nerves! His disgust with himself and his actions inspired the need for a stiff drink. I'm going to go have a stiff drink and try to forget I ever heard about this. Alternatively, drop anchor, pour a stiff drink and soak up the sun! Someday I'm going to think about all the time I've wasted and need a stiff drink. I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife and maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep. I don't drink at lunchtime but I like a stiff whisky at 6.30 in the evening and perhaps another later on. Keats spluttered and coughed to full wakefulness, and steadied himself with a stiff brandy. Synonyms strong, potent, alcoholic, spirituous, intoxicant 3stiff withinformal predicative Full of. the place is stiff with alarm systems 那地方布满了警报系统。 4— stiffinformal Having a specified unpleasant feeling to an extreme extent. 〈非正式〉（不好的感觉）十分，极其 she was scared stiff 她极其害怕。 I was bored stiff with my project 我对我的计划极为厌烦。 Example sentencesExamples I cannot speak for Xander, but I was still scared stiff. Actually, they look bored stiff, but you see his point. It might be fun and it would certainly beat sitting here bored stiff! But only the father cares enough to make sure he's scared stiff not to do something like that again. Andy pleaded from the hallway seeming utterly scared stiff. Much of the public was and still is scared stiff of crime. She sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup and sat on the bed, bored stiff. I couldn't be a model nowadays, I'd be bored stiff. Fulner sat in his chair for a few moments, scared stiff, before regaining his composure and speaking. "They'll see that in the paper and think I'm scared stiff," he said. One is that much of the public is scared stiff of crime. She was worn out, scared stiff, her heart was beating furiously, and her lungs were screaming in protest with every breath of icy air she inhaled. It was obvious these guys were scared stiff of something, but what? He sent an ambulance to me, and while I waited for it, I sat on the curb, scared stiff, clutching a matted, long-haired tabby cat. While my heart had wanted so much to stay with him, to never leave him, my mind was still scared stiff of getting close to anyone and had needed to get far away. Everything I had thought to be possible was true, and I didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared stiff. I swerved to the left, scared stiff at what had just happened. 5Bridge A card that is the only one of its suit in a hand. two red aces and a stiff club nounstifstɪf informal 1A dead body. 死尸 Example sentencesExamples A friend of my father's worked for the London Transport Police and part of his job involved scraping stiffs off the tracks. There's a whole craft industry based on vehicles for transferring stiffs from the chapel to the boneyard. When the bodies of various stiffs start disappearing from the local morgue, the police are baffled as to where they've gone. Synonyms corpse, cadaver, dead body, body, remains, skeleton, relics 2North American A boring, conventional person. 〈主北美〉令人讨厌的人，因循守旧的人 ordinary working stiffs in respectable offices 在体面办公室里工作的普通而且因循守旧的人。 Example sentencesExamples The cops weren't hugely heroic figures, but working stiffs, not even remotely glamorous. Most of the politicians are sensibly out of town, but the poor working stiffs hardly get away at all. And instead of the magic of the performers feeding on the collective, often irrational consciousness of a celebratory theatre crowd, you've now got actors singing for their supper in front of row upon row of wealthy stiffs. Well, if you're a typical working stiff in today's corporate world, you're not getting any bargains from the big executives upstairs. They performed lewd acts, taunted the police, harassed the stiffs and produced great art. This comes from a working class stiff who has a 14-year old son who skates. Never once do you buy him as a beat down working class stiff who just needs a break to get what he more or less rightfully deserves. At least the kids in the first one had chemistry; here the cheerleaders are dull and the dudes are stiffs. True, more than a few stiffs have taken cover behind the blue shirt down the years, and several others could have made a fair living selling it, but none went as far as the ultimate sacrifice. I guess working stiffs like their comedians to be aggressively stupid and insultingly formulaic. He looks like he's going to be your typical good looking stiff, but once he gets to talk a bit, he is quite natural and has some comic skills. But, hey: grin and bear it, because at least you're not hanging out with those stiffs from work, right? But working stiffs who slave all day to pay the Hydro bills can sometimes barely get a peek out the window as the circus rolls by. Never have the ordinary people of America, the decent, working stiffs, needed and deserved a great tribute more urgently. He is on great terms with all the working stiffs and is a popular executive. I've always thought of him as a rather dull-witted stiff. So, unlike the bigwigs who cashed in big on stock options, look for him to remain a working stiff. Don't trust that future working stiffs will pay your way - the system may be entirely different by then! Four working stiffs shack up to make the greatest rock record of recent times. With all that cash tucked under the mattress, it is not easy for a working stiff to understand why he wants to do an Edinburgh show. 2.1 A fellow; an ordinary person. the lucky stiff! Example sentencesExamples I would issue a fiat that the NFL has to change its overtime rule, so that both teams must be given a chance to score, not just the lucky stiffs who win the coin flip. verbstifstɪf [with object]informal 1North American Cheat (someone) out of something, especially money. 〈北美〉欺骗，欺诈 several workers were stiffed out of their pay Example sentencesExamples Did they think he would just disappear after the press conference got stiffed by the media? However, the high-living deadbeat dad who stiffs his kids is largely a mythical creature. And when you stiff the person, not sending them any drugs or explosives at all - that's all profit right there. We do know they have been steadily alienating your regular customers, stiffing them on money owed, making a terrible mess of the legitimate business, while all the while on paper your company is soaring. I don't want to stiff her if she's due a partial fee, but I'm afraid that if I let her know she'll try to overcharge me. So if the insurance companies are going to stiff Americans when it comes to affordable prescription drugs, somebody has to do the job. One show I saw involved a woman who'd stiffed an appliance store on a refrigerator and then had the gall to sue it for harassment when it tried to collect. The sellers will have to show that the selling entities received fair value and that the transaction had economic substance above and beyond merely stiffing their creditors. God only knows in what other ways they are stiffing society. After the media glare faded, the team was stiffed for $43,000 of the prize money. As we noted last night, he seems to have stiffed the Times. She was upset after being stiffed for $11 by her employer, a white woman for whom she worked as a maid. The claim here is that even if the system does not go bankrupt, future retirees still will be stiffed because the trust fund has been looted repeatedly by previous presidents to finance their pet political projects. If people are unaware, it is a crime to stiff people on wages, even the homeless. Chances are that he wants to stiff you for the deposit and then he will have it patched. Workers, in other words, will be stiffed again. I'd love to sign up for the Secret Santa thing this year, too, but I got stiffed last year, so it sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. So, just out of curiosity, did anyone else get stiffed by their Secret Santa? I got stiffed the first (and, consequently, only) time I participated in one of those Secret Santa wish list things. In the past, East Baghdad has been stiffed and not given its fair share. Synonyms swindle, defraud, deceive, trick, dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, gull 1.1 Fail to leave (someone) a tip. 不给…小费 Example sentencesExamples Every morning the same four guys came in, ate the same eggs-and-potatoes configurations, repeated the same harangue about how I was personally responsible for their lack of overtime, and stiffed me. Another spends 10 minutes squatting by the table, recounting how his previous tables stiffed him when the computers overheated and meals didn't arrive on time. However, I have never ever completely stiffed a waitress/waiter as much as I would have liked to. "Sending a message" by stiffing a rude waiter or bellhop does not work. If you leave a quarter you might as well be stiffing me. I can tell you I never stiffed a waiter in a French restaurant. 2North American Ignore deliberately; snub. 〈北美〉冷落，怠慢 Example sentencesExamples He was also stiffing the White House press corps. He had stiffed the United Nations many, many times. He stiffed me because he wanted to hang out with his buddies and smoke. Does the outcome of the recall show that you can get away with bypassing, stiffing, and otherwise not engaging the mainstream media and still get elected governor of California? But having stiffed the world and threatened U.S. allies, they may be rewarded with trade, aid and the global respect they've coveted for decades. And the two best ways to keep people stupid and nodding is by shutting down the information flow and by stiffing the press. But to follow up on Bernie's question, does the vice president pay a price for stiffing the press as he has done for two months now? And in this case, he was very interested in all of the questions, did not stiff them or brush them off. And yet, he stiffed the police for a couple of months and, even to this day, has not spoken out publicly. And on that very point, is it reasonable for journalists to be criticizing him for basically staying silent, saying nothing, and stiffing the press for seven long weeks? Synonyms insult, slight, affront, humiliate, treat disrespectfully 2.1 Fail to appear for a promised engagement or appointment. he stiffed us and didn't show up 3Kill. 杀死 I want to get those pigs who stiffed your doctor Synonyms murder, cause the death of, end the life of, take the life of, do away with, make away with, assassinate, do to death, eliminate, terminate, dispatch, finish off, put to death, execute 3.1no object Be unsuccessful. 失败，不成功 as soon as he began singing about the wife and kids, his albums stiffed 他一开始歌唱他的妻子和孩子，他的唱片就不灵了。 Example sentencesExamples A few more singles stiffed in 1965/66 before the band ground to a halt sometime in 1967. Ultimately, we wound up doing one television show as guild members, the record started stiffing and the band broke up. It stiffed, but his performance sticks in the memory and it's that ability which will see him through any critical fall-out. The press created this New Glam thing with Verve and Suede but our third single stiffed and eventually we were dropped. I'll bet you his last album was more successful than an American superstar whose last album stiffed. All right, but are they secretly pleased that her most recent single stiffed at number 52? Every bit as ghastly as it sounds, it stiffed completely. A publisher paid an advance of more than $500,000 for it, it became a book that attracted rave reviews, and it stiffed in its first week. Phrases stiff as a board informal (of a person or part of the body) extremely stiff. （人或身体某部位）僵直的，僵硬的 Example sentencesExamples He was shocked, so much so that he was holding his breath and was as stiff as a board. She looked tired with dark circles beneath her eyes and she was as stiff as a board, trying to fight the pain. Dustin fought to stay up, to stay stiff as a board, but eventually the bear succeeded in knocking him over. By the time I hit the beginning of Toronto my feet were killing me and I was stiff as a board all over. I made my back as stiff as a board, glaring the whole while at the poor boy. He nodded and reached for her shoulder and found it to be as stiff as a board. He would lay in his bed flat on his back, stiff as a board, tightly clutching his blanket with the fingers of both hands. He uttered a faint, choking gasp, and toppled over backwards, stiff as a board. He put his arms around her and at first she resisted in the only way she could: by remaining stiff as a board. The first sign of her low mood was that she was actually slouching and not sitting as stiff as a board, as she usually did. a stiff upper lip A quality of uncomplaining stoicism. 坚定沉着，感情不外露，坚忍 senior managers had to keep a stiff upper lip and remain optimistic 高级经理们必须坚定沉着，始终保持乐观。 Example sentencesExamples At least I don't have to keep a stiff upper lip anymore. I should keep a stiff upper lip and take the high road and all that, so I will. Other Americans are told to keep a stiff upper lip. Then, as now, the Londoners had a stiff upper lip. Most of the women were crying, but I kept a stiff upper lip. Upper-class Englishmen pride themselves on discretion and a stiff upper lip, deeply unfashionable human qualities in these tabloid times. Keeping a stiff upper lip during such tribulations, she writes, is what one must do. But, if the governing class goes about business as usual, that's not a stiff upper lip but a death wish. It is quite humorous to see the actors work through their lines with a stiff upper lip - even they can't seem to believe what they are being asked to say. But aren't news people supposed to keep a stiff upper lip? Origin Old English stīf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stijf. adj.1 phr.
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