Stiffness

Pronunciation: /stɪfnəs/

Definitions of stiffness

noun the quality of lacking ease or flexibility

Example Sentences

A1 My back has been hurting because of stiffness.

A2 He complained of stiffness in his neck after the long flight.

B1 The stiffness in her joints made it difficult for her to move freely.

B2 The stiffness of the new shoes caused blisters on her feet.

C1 The stiffness of the regulations made it hard for the company to innovate.

C2 The stiffness of the competition forced the company to rethink its marketing strategy.

Examples of stiffness in a Sentence

formal The stiffness in her joints made it difficult for her to move.

informal I woke up with a bit of stiffness in my neck from sleeping in a weird position.

slang I can't go out tonight, I've got some serious stiffness after my workout yesterday.

figurative The stiffness in his demeanor made it hard for others to approach him.

Grammatical Forms of stiffness

• plural: stiffnesses
• comparative: stiffer
• superlative: stiffest
• present tense: stiffens
• future tense: will stiffen
• perfect tense: has stiffened
• continuous tense: is stiffening
• singular: stiffness
• positive degree: stiff
• infinitive: to stiffen
• gerund: stiffening
• participle: stiffened

Origin and Evolution of stiffness

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'stiffness' originated from the Old English word 'stifnes' which was derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'stifniss'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'stiffness' has evolved to not only describe physical rigidity but also mental inflexibility or resistance to change.