ˈstifən also -f ə m verb
( stiffened ; stiffened ; stiffening -f(ə)niŋ ; stiffens )
Etymology: Middle English stiffnen, from stif, adjective, stiff + -nen -en
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to make stronger or more resolute : bolster , support
busy … reordering his ship, and stiffening the morale of his crew — Llewellyn Howland
felt the honor of the whole army rising within me and stiffening my backbone — R.H.Davis
his papers are stiffened with solid facts and a scholar's indignation — E.A.Weeks
(2) : to make tougher or more effective
stiffen the armies … with an increasing leaven of mercenaries — J.E.M.White
recommended stiffening the Refugee Relief Act — Dorothy Kahn
(3) : to make more obstinate or intransigent
a powerful will stiffened by many years of opposition — Helen Macafee
b.
(1) : to make tight or hard : reduce in resilience : tauten , immobilize
his sinews stiffened themselves in tense readiness — C.G.D.Roberts
he was stiffened straight by back trouble — A.C.Spectorsky
specifically : to knock out (a boxing opponent)
stiffened the … fighter in the first round — Irish Digest
(2) : benumb
spent his evenings stiffening himself with gin — V.S.Pritchett
c. : to make more stilted or inflexible : constrict , formalize
poetic diction that has stiffened into corpses so many orthodox poetic dramas — Leslie Rees
stiffened one of the most picturesque of human beings … into a stock figure — Carl Van Doren
2.
a. : to make denser or firmer : thicken , solidify
milk well stiffened with wheaten flour — G.E.Fussell
phosphorus stiffens and strengthens wire — Monsanto Magazine
specifically : to reinforce (as an article of clothing) by stitching, sizing, interfacing, interlining, wiring
drapery stiffened with stiff starch — F.J.Mather
hat brims are stiffened to hold their shape
b. : to alter the structure or ballast of (a ship) to prevent excessive heeling : stabilize
c. : to increase the ratio of inductance to capacity in (an electric circuit)
3. : to cause to rise or be increased : fix at a high level
stiffen prices
stiffen the market
a definite trend toward stiffening of money rates — Wall Street Journal
intransitive verb
1.
a. : thicken , harden
mud stiffens as it dries
b. : to become physically taut or mentally inflexible
stiffened in her saddle and tossed her head — T.B.Costain
my resolve to stick it out stiffened — V.G.Heiser
young feelings stiffen in senile works — Malcolm Cowley
2. : to increase in strength or difficulty
a stiffening breeze
the climb stiffens as we near the top
3. : to become firmer
stock prices stiffened in the final few hours of trading