noun

stiffness

noun

The quality of being rigid or resistant to bending.

"Engineers test the stiffness of the beam before approving the design."

"The stiffness of the new mattress took a while to get used to."

Soreness or tightness in the muscles, often after unusual exercise.

"He woke up with stiffness in his legs after the long hike."

"A hot bath can help ease muscle stiffness."

A lack of ease or naturalness in manner or style.

"There was a certain stiffness to his speech that made the audience uneasy."

How to Use Stiffness

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHow rigid, sore, or unnatural something is — a beam, a body, or a personality.

Common pairings

muscle stiffness joint stiffness social stiffness

stiffnesses plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

Engineers test the _____ of the beam before approving the design.

From Old English stīþnes, built from "stiff" plus the noun ending "-ness".