stiffness

Everyday

1. Stiffness is being hard to bend or move, like a new board or a stiff collar. tree →
2. Stiffness in the body is a tight, achy feeling in your muscles or joints, often after exercise or sleeping badly. tree →
3. Stiffness in how someone acts is being too formal, cold or awkward, not relaxed. tree →
4. (science) Stiffness is how strongly a material or spring resists being bent or stretched. tree →

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 →
• Gentle stretching helps reduce stiffness. tree →
• Grandad's knees have a bit of stiffness in cold weather. tree →
• The stiffness of the cardboard made it hard to fold. tree →
• We measured the stiffness of three different rulers in science. tree →
• There was a stiffness in her voice when she said hello. tree →
• The stiffness of the new shoes gave me blisters. tree →
• After the long car ride, the stiffness in my back made me groan. tree →

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).