Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Stiffness |
StiffnessNoun1. The physical property of being inflexible and hard to bend. 2. The property of moving with pain or difficulty; "he awoke with a painful stiffness in his neck". 3. The inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment). 4. Excessive sternness; "severity of character"; "the harshness of his punishment was inhuman"; "the rigors of boot camp". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "stiffness" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Aerospace | The ratio of change of force (or torque) to the corresponding change in translational (or rotational) displacement of an elastic element. (references) |
Building & Civil Engineering | Property of a solid characterizing the magnitude of strain it undergoes for a given stress increase. The lower the strain, the stiffer the body. Source: European Union. (references) |
Computing | The amount of applied force per unit of displacement of a compliant body. Source: European Union. (references) |
Electrical Engineering | The reciprocal of compliance. Source: European Union. (references) |
Industry | Bending resistance determined by measuring the bending force on a rectangular test piece of paper according to a standardised procedure. Source: European Union. (references) |
Mechanical Engineering | Static or dynamic elastic response of a machine, assembly, or machine element to definite forces or moments. Source: European Union. (references) |
| Ratio of the variation of torque applied to a shaft and the variation of the angular position of the shaft. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Mining | The ability of a metal or shape to resist elastic deflection. For identical shapes, the stiffness is proportional to the modulus ofelasticity. (references) |
Physics | The capacity of a body to withstand deformation, more particularly bending, as measured by the modulus of elasticity. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: StiffnessSynonyms: awkwardness (n), clumsiness (n), gracelessness (n), hardness (n), harshness (n), inclemency (n), rigor (n), rigour (n), severity (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Affectation | Stiffness, formality, buckram; prudery, demureness, coquetry, mock modesty, minauderie, sentimentalism; mauvais honte, false shame. |
Inelegance | Noun: inelegance; stiffness; Adjective: "unlettered Muse"; barbarism; slang; solecism; mannerism; (affectation); euphuism; fustian; cacophony; words that break the teeth, words that dislocate the jaw; marinism. |
Stability | Noun: stability; immutability; Adjective: unchangeability; Adjective: unchangeableness; constancy; stable equilibrium, immobility, soundness, vitality, stabiliment, stiffness, ankylosis, solidity, aplomb. |
Straightness | Straightness, rectilinearity, directness; inflexibility; (stiffness); straight line, right line, direct line; short cut. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Stiffness |
| English words defined with "stiffness": Corrugated iron, Costiveness ♦ embrocation ♦ flabby, flaccid ♦ Hogframe ♦ Kernig's sign ♦ Lateral system, liniment ♦ myotonia congenita ♦ Prigidity, pulpy ♦ rigor mortis ♦ slouchy, spondylitis, Starchedness, Starchness, stretched ♦ Tensive, Thomsen's disease ♦ yielding. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "stiffness": BOW MAKER, BREAKER-MACHINE TENDER ♦ cervical vertigo syndrome, CORRUGATOR OPERATOR ♦ Ephemeral Fever ♦ petersham ribbon ♦ snubber, Spondylitis, Ankylosing, steel sets ♦ vertebral artery compression. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Some women also experience joint and muscle pain and stiffness. (references) | |
Symptoms may include muscle stiffness and hypertrophy (enlargement). (references) | ||
Seizures, myoclonic jerks (muscle spasms or twitches), and neck stiffness may occur. (references) | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Stiffness" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Stiffness" is used about 237 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 237 | 19,467 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "stiffness": bending stiffness ♦ modulus of stiffness ♦ stiffness in bend ♦ stiffness in flexure. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "stiffness"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | shtangëti (catalepsy), sertësi (rigidity, rigor, rigour, roughness, severity, waywardness), ngurtësi (obduracy, rigidity, solidity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | عناد (inexorability, inflexibility, intransigence, obduracy, obstinacy, pertinacity, perverseness, perversity, refractory, stoutness, stubbornness, tenacity, waywardness, wilfulness), صلابة (callosity, hardihood, hardness, hards, inflexibility, iron, perseverance, reliability, resistance, rigidity, rigorism, singleness, solidity, soundness, stability, steadiness, stoutness, strength, stubbornness, tenacity, toughmindness, toughness), صعوبة (awkwardness, difficulty, hardness, onerousness, profoundness, quandary). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | скованост (awkwardness, inelasticity, numbness, rigidity, starch), резервираност (distance, ice, reserve, reticence), официалност (circumstance, formality, solemnity, starch), надменност (arrogance, assumption, disdain, distance, haughtiness, hauteur, pride, swelled head, uppishness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 僵硬 (starkness, stiff). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | ztuhlost (numbness), upjatost, tvrdost (hardness, soundness, toughness), přísnost (austerity, rigour, severity, sternness, strictness, stringency, tightness, toughness), houževnatost (doggedness, tenacity, toughness), škrobenost (starch). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | stivhed (rigidity), nåleophængets stivhed. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | stijfheid (rigor, rigour). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | jäykkyys (constraint, formality, rigidity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | rigidité, raideur (starch). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Steifheit (crispness, erectness, formality, frigidity, hardness, primness, rigidity, starchiness, strength), Erstarrung (congealment, congelation, fossilization, freezing, numbness, ossification, paralysis, petrifaction, rigidity, solidification, torpidity, torpidor), steife (starch, stiffly). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | ακαμψία (inflexibility, rigidity, rigor, rigour), δυσκαμψία (inflexibility). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | קשיות (asperity, hardness, severity), קשיחות (dourness, hardness, rigidity, rigour, toughness), אשי ות (rigidity), וקשות (coarseness, dourness, hardness, inflexibility, intransigence, pedantry, rigidity, roughness, severity, starch). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | merevség (brittleness, rigidity, rigour, setness, starch, sternness, tautness, tenseness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | rigidezza (rigidity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 硬質 (hardness), 硬さ (firmness, hardness, honesty), 凝り (hardening, swelling), 凝 (congeal, freeze, hardening, swelling), 固さ (firmness, hardness, honesty), さ (firmness, hardness, honesty). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | し"り (hardening, swelling), かたさ (firmness, hardness, honesty), "うしつ (colloidal, dowager, glue and lacquer, gluey, great intimacy, hardness, Imperial household, mineral, widow), "り (foxes and badgers, hardening, purification, sly fellow, swelling). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 뻣뻣함. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | roauyrid (obeseness), reenid (doggedness, inflexibility, rigidity, starkness, toughness, viscosity, wiriness, wiriness of person), neulhoobid (formality, inflexibility, intractability, rigidity), geyrid (abruptness, acidity, acridity, acuteness, austerity, definition, discernment, hardness, hardness of sound, incisiveness, intensity, keenness, mordacity, poignancy, pointedness, pungency, quickness of sight, rigidity, rigour of the law, sharpness, sourness, strictness, stringency), formoilid (formality), doilleeys (hardship), doilleeid (difficulty, dilemma, hardship, hobble, ticklishness, toughness), creoighys (callosity, hardness, obduracy, sternness), chionnid (austerity, compactness, strain, tautness, tenseness, tension). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | iffnessstay rigidez (accuracy, buckram, flatiron, hardness, inelasticity, iron, ironwork, rigidity, rigour, starch, stringency). (various references) soliditate (compactness, fastness, firmness, hardness, massiness, reliability, solidity, soundness, stability, strength), rigiditate (buckram, inflexibility, rigidity), fermitate (backbone, consistence, consistency, decision, determination, firmness, fixedness, fixity, inflexibility, resoluteness, resolution, solidity, staunchness, steadfastness, steadiness, stoutness, sturdiness), cerbice (withers). (various references) неподвижность (catatonia, fixedness, fixity, immobility, immovability, quiescence, quiescency, rest, stillness). (various references) ukočenost (crick, numbness, stupor, torpidity, torpor). (various references) rigidez (rigidity). (various references) styvhet, stelhet (rigidity, starch). (various references) sertlik (asperity, austerity, bitterness, curtness, fierceness, firmness, hardness, harshness, headiness, inclemency, intemperance, kick, pungency, rigidity, rigor, rigour, severity, sharpness, solidity, starch, sternness, stoniness, strength, strictness, stringency, tartness, toughness, vehemence, wiriness), resmiyet (ceremony, formality, primness, starch), koyuluk (consistency, darkness, deep, deepness, intenseness, intension, intensity, saturation, somberness, sombreness, thickness), katılık (consistence, consistency, hardness, rigidity, rigor, rigour, solidity, sternness, strictness), kıvam (consistency, degree of maturity, temper), inatçılık (contrariness, cussedness, dourness, hardness, indocility, intractability, intransigence, mulishness, obduracy, obstinacy, perversity, recalcitrance, refractoriness, restiveness, self will, stickiness, stiff neck, stubbornness, toughness, waywardness, wilfulness, willfulness), dik kafalılık (fractiousness, stubbornness), ağdalı oluş. (various references) густота (density), нерухомість (fixity, immobility, immovability, quiescence, quiescency, realty, requiescence, rest), жорсткість (acerbity, harshness, rigidity). (various references) sự cứng nhắc tính kiên quyết, sự cứng đờ. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | rigor. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "stiffness": stiffnesses. (additional references) | |
| |
"Stiffness" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: stiffnesses. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "stiffness" (pronounced sti"fnus) |
| 4 | -f n u s | aloofness, deafness, roughness, toughness. |
| 3 | -n u s | abruptness, absoluteness, acuteness, aggressiveness, agribusiness, airworthiness, alertness, alumnus, Anas, androgynous, anise, appropriateness, arbitrariness, assertiveness, astuteness, asynchronous, attentiveness, attractiveness, awareness, awfulness, awkwardness, backwardness, badness, bagginess, baldness, bearishness, bigness, bitterness, bituminous, blackness, blandness, bleakness, blindness, bluntness, boldness, bonus, boorishness, brashness, brightness, bullishness, business, callousness, calmness, carelessness, casualness, cautiousness, cavernous, cheapness, chitinous, cleanliness, cleanness, cleverness, closeness, cloudiness, clumsiness, cockiness, cohesiveness, coldness, Colonus, combativeness, compactness, competitiveness, completeness, consciousness, contagiousness, contentiousness, contrariness, Conus, coolness, correctness, coziness, craziness, creativeness, creditworthiness, creepiness, crispness, crookedness, cuteness, dampness, darkness, Deaconess, deadliness, decisiveness, defensiveness, destructiveness, directness, disingenuousness, distinctiveness, divisiveness, dizziness, dreariness, drowsiness, drunkenness, dryness, dullness, eagerness, earnestness, edginess, effectiveness, elusiveness, emptiness, evenness, exogenous, eyewitness, faintness, fairness, farsightedness, fastness, fickleness, firmness, fitness, flatness, fondness, foolishness, forcefulness, forgiveness, forthrightness, foulness, fractiousness, frankness, freshness, friendliness, frothiness, fullness, funniness, furnace, gauntness, gayness, gelatinous, gentleness, genuineness, genus, ghastliness, gluttonous, goodness, governess, graciousness, greatness, greenness, grimness, hairiness, handedness, happiness, hardness, harmfulness, harness, harshness, heinous, helplessness, highness, hoarseness, holiness, homelessness, homesickness, homogenous, hopefulness, hopelessness, humanness, idleness, illness, inclusiveness, indebtedness, indecisiveness, indigenous, ineffectiveness, ineptness, inertness, intravenous, intrusiveness, inventiveness, joblessness, Johannes, kindness, larcenous, largeness, lateness, lawlessness, laziness, lenis, lightfastness, lightness, likeness, liveliness, loneliness, lousiness, luminous, madness, Manus, meanness, membranous, menace, Minas, mindedness, minus, monotonous, mountainous, mutinous, narrowness, nastiness, nearsightedness, neatness, nervousness, newness, niceness, niggardliness, nitrogenous, nonbusiness, nonpoisonous, nosiness, nothingness, numbness, ominous, oneness, onus, openness, orderliness, otherness, outrageousness, outspokenness, pandanus, peacefulness, penis, permissiveness, persuasiveness, pervasiveness, pettiness, playfulness, poisonous, politeness, polygynous, pompousness, possessiveness, powerlessness, preparedness, queasiness, quickness, quietness, raciness, randomness, rareness, ravenous, rawness, readiness, reasonableness, rebelliousness, recklessness, redness, remoteness, resistiveness, resourcefulness, responsiveness, restiveness, restlessness, restrictiveness, richness, righteousness, rightness, riskiness, robustness, roominess, rowdiness, rudeness, ruinous, ruthlessness, sacredness, sadness, Salinas, sameness, scantiness, secretiveness, selfishness, selflessness, sensitiveness, separateness, seriousness, shakiness, shallowness, sharpness, shortness, shortsightedness, shrewdness, shyness, sickness, silliness, sinus, skittishness, slackness, sleepiness, sloppiness, slovenliness, slowness, sluggishness, slyness, smallness, smoothness, smugness, softness, solitariness, soundness, spiritedness, squeamishness, starkness, steadfastness, steadiness, steepness, sternness, stillness, stinginess, stoutness, strangeness, stubbornness, sturdiness, suddenness, suggestiveness, sweetness, swiftness, tardiness, tartness, tastiness, tenderness, tetanus, thickness, thinness, thoroughness, thoughtfulness, tightness, timeliness, tiredness, togetherness, trustworthiness, truthfulness, ugliness, unconsciousness, uneasiness, unfairness, unhappiness, uniqueness, unpleasantness, unwieldiness, unwillingness, usefulness, vagueness, vastness, venous, viciousness, villainous, vindictiveness, vividness, voluminous, wariness, wastefulness, waterishness, weakness, weariness, weightlessness, weirdness, wellness, wetness, whiteness, wholeness, wholesomeness, wickedness, wilderness, wildness, willingness, wimpiness, wistfulness, witness, wonderfulness, worldliness, worthiness, wryness. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-f-f-i-n-s-s-s-t" | |
-1 letter: stiffens. | |
-2 letters: fitness, infests, stiffen. | |
-3 letters: feints, feists, finest, infest, insets, sniffs, steins, stiffs. | |
-4 letters: feint, feist, fiefs, fifes, fines, fists, inset, neifs, neist, nests, nites, seifs, senti, sifts, sines, sises, sites, sniff, snits, stein, sties, stiff, teffs, tiffs, tines. | |
-5 letters: effs, efts, fens, fess, fets, fief, fife, fine, fins, fist, fits, neif, ness, nest. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-f-f-i-n-s-s-s-t" | |
+1 letter: stuffiness. | |
+2 letters: stiffnesses. | |
+3 letters: fitfulnesses, stuffinesses. | |
+5 letters: faithfulnesses, fruitfulnesses. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Quotations: Non-fiction 6. Usage Frequency 7. Expressions 8. Expressions: Internet | 9. Translations: Modern 10. Translations: Ancient 11. Derivations 12. Rhymes | 13. Anagrams 14. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
