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# stiffness

noun (stiffness — uncountable)

«stiffness» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Stiffness is being hard to bend or move, like a new board or a stiff collar. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#m1)
2. Stiffness in the body is a tight, achy feeling in your muscles or joints, often after exercise or sleeping badly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#m2)
3. Stiffness in how someone acts is being too formal, cold or awkward, not relaxed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#m3)
4. (science) Stiffness is how strongly a material or spring resists being bent or stretched. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#m4)

### In the lessons

In everyday life you hear about stiffness in a sore neck, stiff legs after a long walk, or stiffness that goes away after stretching. In science and design, engineers test the stiffness of beams, rulers and springs. In stories, stiffness in a character's voice or manners tells the reader they are nervous, upset or very proper. Phrases: «muscle stiffness», «morning stiffness», «stiffness in the joints».

### Examples

- I felt some stiffness in my legs after the cross-country race. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x1)
- Gentle stretching helps reduce stiffness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x2)
- Grandad's knees have a bit of stiffness in cold weather. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x3)
- The stiffness of the cardboard made it hard to fold. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x4)
- We measured the stiffness of three different rulers in science. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x5)
- There was a stiffness in her voice when she said hello. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x6)
- The stiffness of the new shoes gave me blisters. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x7)
- After the long car ride, the stiffness in my back made me groan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/#x8)

### Note

Uncountable: «some stiffness», not «a stiffness» (except «a stiffness in his manner»). From the adjective «stiff» + -ness. Do not confuse with «stuffiness» (an airless room or a blocked nose).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «stiffness» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stiffness/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«stiffness» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/stiffness.html) on Mova free.