I. adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a severe/stiff/heavy/tough/harsh penalty
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There were calls for stiffer penalties for killers of police officers.
a stiff/long sentence (= a long time in prison )
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Police officers are demanding stiffer sentences for offenders.
a stiff/strong breeze
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There was a good stiff breeze, just right for sailing.
a stiff/strong drink (= a drink with a lot of strong alcohol )
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He was in need of a stiff drink to calm himself down.
be bored stiff/silly/rigid (= extremely bored )
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Patti was bored stiff with small-town Massachusetts life.
fierce/intense/stiff opposition (= strong opposition )
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It is certain that there will be fierce opposition to the changes.
scared stiff informal (= extremely scared )
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I was scared stiff of going down those cellar steps.
stiff resistance (= strong resistance )
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The city government is facing some stiff resistance.
stiff//tough/fierce/intense/keen competition (= strong competition )
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There is stiff competition for places at the best universities.
worried sick/stiff (= extremely worried )
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Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick!
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
back
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Doubtless there were a few stiff backs and aching muscles to contend with after it was all finished.
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She didn't need to see that stiff back to know all was not well.
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His knee-joints cracked with the effort and he stretched his stiff back , feeling old, spent.
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I find myself doing this when I have a tired or stiff back .
breeze
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The next day was bright and cold, with a stiff breeze blowing straight down the field.
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Put in on a shoe and it will wipe off in a stiff breeze .
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Daylight broke, a stiff breeze struck up and the sky clouded over.
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A stiff breeze riffles the brush.
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The mastheads of beached yachts tinkled in a stiff breeze .
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A stiff breeze shoves broken clouds across the moon.
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The skill is running down the beach with all your equipment often in a stiff breeze .
challenge
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John Kerry beat back a stiff challenge from Republican Gov.
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But what the Bears get Saturday might be their stiffest challenge .
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For seat No. 3, incumbent Provencio faces stiff challenges from Sandoval and White, both veterans of the campaign trail.
collar
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He wore pince-nez spectacles, a round-ended stiff collar , and a moustache.
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He dressed like a dandy in a Prince Albert coat, derby hat, and stiff collar .
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He was also more formal than she had ever seen him, his suit and stiff collar making him look quite different.
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He scratched his neck under his stiff collar , smoked cigarettes, and sucked mints to make his breath smell good.
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The men had taken off their stiff collars , but were still uncomfortable in waistcoats and tight trousers and big boots.
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Oh yes! and stiff collars .
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He was of the old school, complete with stiff collar and bowler hat, and he was a good all-rounder.
competition
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For the male, it is a stiff competition , but even the strongest can be unwittingly foiled.
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Superior products would evolve and stiff competition would sprout up as Roundup patent protections expired around the globe.
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A spokesman for Cuff Roberts said the scheme offered nationwide expertise from Liverpool and stiff competition to Manchester firms.
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Whether the high jumper can requalify against stiff competition depends in large part upon the other big change: her takeoff.
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The planned deregulation has bred concern that Petron will face stiffer competition and an erosion of its 42 percent market share.
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But he says it has some stiff competition from a consortium of Eastern universities and industry.
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The company was facing stiff competition and losing market share.
drink
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Calm your nerves by deep breathing, not by having a stiff drink .
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When he got home he'd have a stiff drink and a long bath, followed by another stiff drink.
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A good shower helped, but she would have liked to go down and search for a stiff drink .
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I poured myself a stiff drink and tossed it down.
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Many people would rather have a stiff drink to help them sleep, than take a sleeping tablet for their insomnia.
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A couple of stiff drinks and a bowl of soup afterwards was about all I could cope with.
fine
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Under the rules, the Aintree executive could have faced stiff fines .
lip
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Oh, hello, guys; stiff lip , stiff lip....
neck
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The stiff neck is a way of controlling feeling as are the rigid shoulders and the pulled-in gut.
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Rarely, a subarachnoid bleed can present with high fever, stiff neck , and headache masquerading as meningitis.
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Sore throat with swollen glands and a stiff neck .
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In the morning he woke up with a painful stiff neck .
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A stiff neck for a few weeks after a bump was tolerated in the past.
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Can you watch television without getting a stiff neck ?
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She was suffering from a stiff neck which gave her pain whenever she turned her head.
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Other signs of tension and fear are a tight mouth, stiff neck , and flared nostrils.
opposition
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He is called upon both to defend his faith against stiff opposition and to spread it among his friends.
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But that idea has run into stiff opposition .
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Union leaders warned that the group's attempt to cut jobs could face stiff opposition .
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It is likely to face stiff opposition from trade unions, including the teachers' union, if it does so.
penalty
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At the moment, they face fines of £400, but there are moves afoot to introduce stiffer penalties .
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There was a stiff penalty if a young lass's loaf fell during baking: one year of bad luck.
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Those who did not could face stiff penalties , including a $ 2,000 fine and up to five years in prison.
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The stiffer penalties announced by Mason were of limited value by themselves.
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The vote would ask approval of stiffer penalties for corruption, including barring convicted officials from office.
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In some cases LEAs operating such patrols are pressing magistrates to impose stiff penalties on parents of truants.
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The plan calls for stiffer penalties for offences and increased government resources to investigate more incidents.
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Conventional mortgages often contain stiff penalties for borrowers who want to redeem all or part of the loan before its end.
resistance
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These conditions were expected to meet stiff resistance in the Legislative Assembly.
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A bipartisan drive to change the rules for financing federal campaigns is running into stiff resistance from veteran members of Congress.
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The hierarchy, however, mounted stiff resistance and publicly denounced any attack on ecclesiastical privileges and property.
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Investors had mixed views of how bonds would react if the bailout plan met stiff resistance in the Diet.
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A stiff resistance might well increase the pressure on Washington to end the war on Southern terms.
sentence
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Gave him a stiff sentence in a House of Correction to teach him better ways.
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Alan Eastwood, who represents more than a hundred thousand rank and file officers, wants more police powers and stiffer sentences .
test
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Stirrup Cup, unbeaten in six races this season, faces much his stiffest test .
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Liphook is the perfect example of a short course which still presents a stiff test of a golfer's skills.
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An uncertain outcome to the election and pressure from Britain's currency partners will be a stiff test for the pound.
wind
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But after an hour or so of trudging into the stiff wind , a slight feeling of despair crept over me.
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Within minutes a stiff wind was blowing over the harbor.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
straight/stiff as a ramrod
▪
Said he was as stiff as a ramrod and would get nowhere, but he's pretty hard on people anyway.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
a stiff piece of cardboard
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After a twelve hour plane ride, my back was stiff and sore.
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As you get older, your muscles become stiffer.
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For crimes involving the use of guns, the sentences are particularly stiff .
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I felt really stiff after playing basketball last week.
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I woke up with a stiff neck this morning.
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In the extreme cold my wet shoes became frozen stiff .
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Magistrates now have the power to impose stiff penalties on the parents of children who fail to turn up for school.
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Motorists who do not obey the rules will face stiff fines of up to £3000.
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My legs are stiff from going running last night.
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She gives the impression of being rather stiff and unfriendly, but I think that's because she's basically shy.
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The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable.
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The leaves of the anubias plant are very stiff .
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The sheets outside on the washing line had gone stiff in the frost.
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Their good-byes were stiff and formal.
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To make the picture, you will need a sheet of stiff card.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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I tried to smile back, but my face that day was curiously stiff .
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Rarely, a subarachnoid bleed can present with high fever, stiff neck, and headache masquerading as meningitis.
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The dress didn't suit her, it was too stiff and smart, it looked as if she was trying too hard.
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The tremolo would probably need setting up properly because it feels stiff and uneven in use.
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Whether the high jumper can requalify against stiff competition depends in large part upon the other big change: her takeoff.
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With slow wrinkling his stiff face relaxed now and then into a feminine tender smile.
II. adverb
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be frozen (stiff)
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A blue sponge of Holy Water in its receptacle just inside the door was frozen solid.
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Assets abroad were frozen by the U. N. These events set into motion the erasure of the middle class.
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Bacon should be kept refrigerated and although it can be frozen , freezing is not recommended because the product loses quality.
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By the time she turned around, Paula Engado was frozen in space like a china figurine.
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It's been predicted that the number of places on courses is likely to be frozen this year.
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The cooked meat can be frozen for one month.
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The extra pancakes may be frozen .
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The lake is frozen solid, but its shape is clearly drawn, absolutely flat in the undulating landscape.
straight/stiff as a ramrod
▪
Said he was as stiff as a ramrod and would get nowhere, but he's pretty hard on people anyway.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Dr Aziz replied stiffly, "I do not consider Mrs Moore my friend.''
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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He lay next to me stiff as wood.
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I made myself go stiff at first but Mum went on cuddling and soon I sort of collapsed against her.
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Leyland rose, stiff , self-conscious, afraid.
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Riven was stiff all over, hardly able to stretch himself flat.
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The wind was quieter there but the dried-out cold it left behind kept pedestrians fast-moving, stiff inside their coats.
III. noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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He was rising in the world, a celebrated hijacker, and Charlie was a working stiff with money problems.
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How about a series on rock's greatest stiffs?
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My dad was a poor working stiff .
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They closed the old door behind them and there I was, alone with a few dozen stiffs.