adj. & n.
adj. 1 rigid; not flexible. 2 hard to bend or move or turn etc.; not working freely. 3 hard to cope with; needing strength or effort (a stiff test; a stiff climb). 4 severe or strong (a stiff breeze; a stiff penalty). 5 (of a person or manner) formal, constrained; lacking spontaneity. 6 (of a muscle or limb etc., or a person affected by these) aching when used, owing to previous exertion, injury, etc. 7 (of an alcoholic or medicinal drink) strong. 8 (predic.) colloq. to an extreme degree (bored stiff; scared stiff). 9 (foll. by with) colloq. abounding in (a place stiff with tourists).
n. sl. 1 a corpse. 2 a foolish or useless person (you big stiff). stiff neck a rheumatic condition in which the head cannot be turned without pain. stiff-necked obstinate or haughty. stiff upper lip firmness, fortitude. stiffish adj. stiffly adv. stiffness n.
[ OE stif f. Gmc ]