Synonyms

stiffen

American

[stif-uhn] / ˈstɪf ən /

verb (used with object)

to make stiff.

verb (used without object)

to become stiff.
to become suddenly tense, rigid, or taut, as in bracing oneself for or drawing back from shock, fear, or displeasure.

He stiffened, expecting to hear the worst.

stiffen British

/ ˈstɪfən /

verb

to make or become stiff or stiffer
(intr) to become suddenly tense or unyielding

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

overstiffen verb
stiffener noun
unstiffened adjective

Etymology

Origin of stiffen

First recorded in 1490–1500; stiff + -en ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I shift my gaze to Mom, see her stiffen as she stacks the now-dry plates back in the cupboard.

From Literature

IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease characterized by irreversible scarring and stiffening of lung tissue.

From Barron's

And sure enough, as UConn’s shots started falling and its defense stiffened against Boozer’s attacks, the deficit narrowed.

From The Wall Street Journal

The inquest was told rigor mortis - the stiffening of the body after death - had set in.

From BBC

At the close I always put the pen in her stiffened fingers so she could sign it.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023