Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a stiff manner, in any sense of the word stiff.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In a stiff manner.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In a stiff manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb in a stiff manner
  • adverb in a rigid manner

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

stiff +‎ -ly

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Examples

  • It would appear that only the Governor-General, who has a personal connection with Haiti and who has just lost friends and relatives there, is expected to remain stiffly aloof, waving a maple-leaf flag.

    Archive 2010-01-01 2010

  • His famous helmet of conked hair, which used to descend in stiffly contoured waves to his shoulders, is graying now, and has been trimmed to form a bob that protrudes a good six inches from the back of his head, ballast for the great round expanse of his outthrust jowls and chin.

    Pompadour With a Monkey Wrench 2004

  • His famous helmet of conked hair, which used to descend in stiffly contoured waves to his shoulders, is graying now, and has been trimmed to form a bob that protrudes a good six inches from the back of his head, ballast for the great round expanse of his outthrust jowls and chin.

    Pompadour With a Monkey Wrench 2004

  • For a long moment Jaric stared at the broken skin of his hands, his expression stiffly unreadable.

    Stormwarden Wurts, Janny 1989

  • Richina sat in the saddle of her mount " stiffly " in front of the players.

    The Shadow Sorceress Modesitt, L. E. 2001

  • "I beg your pardon, Mr. President," stiffly, "it is quite impossible for me to make any pretense of friendship for the present Secretary of the Interior."

    The Enchanted Canyon Honor�� Morrow 1910

  • The character models animate kind of stiffly, but overall, they look good, especially during the cutscenes.

    GayGamer.net 2009

  • Our View: He was walking "stiffly" yesterday due to his ailing back, but Heap is confident he will play this weekend.

    Fanball Fantasy Football News - Newsbreakers 2009

  • In the eighteenth century, the only folk dance deemed respectable was the contra dance, in which the movements were confined to walking stiffly in prearranged patterns, with no motion of the hips.

    A Renegade History of the United States Thaddeus Russell 2010

  • Each morning during the meetings of the Continental Congress in 1777, John Adams squeezed his round body into breeches, waistcoat, wood-sole shoes, and powdered wig, and walked stiffly from his residence on Walnut and Third streets to the Pennsylvania State House now Independence Hall four blocks away on Chestnut between Fifth and Sixth streets.

    A Renegade History of the United States Thaddeus Russell 2010

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