Stiff has 15 different meanings across 4 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Adverb · Proper Noun
An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff.
"The manager hired another working stiff to handle the busy shift at the factory."
In plain English: A stiff is an old-fashioned term for someone who acts very formal and serious, often to the point of being annoying or unapproachable.
"The stiff was a formal type of shirt collar that stood up without bending."
To fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.
"After realizing he couldn't afford the rent, John stiffed his landlord and fled the apartment without a word."
In plain English: To stiff means to make something hard and rigid so it cannot bend easily.
"The strong wind stiffened his hair against his forehead."
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
"firm convictions"
"a firm mouth"
"steadfast resolve"
"a man of unbendable perseverence"
"unwavering loyalty"
Rigid; hard to bend; inflexible.
"The old wooden chair had become so stiff that it was difficult to sit down without bending my knees awkwardly."
In plain English: Stiff means something that is hard to bend, move, or make flexible.
"The old man stood up with stiff legs after sitting in his armchair all morning."
Usage: Use "stiff" as an adjective primarily when describing something physically rigid or a person who behaves in an overly formal and unnatural way. Avoid confusing this with the noun form referring to an ordinary worker, which is distinct from its meaning of being unyielding or harshly difficult.
A surname.
"The Stiff family has lived in that valley for over two hundred years."
The word "stiff" comes from Old English stīf, which traces its roots back to Proto-Indo-European steypós. Its original meaning described something that is rigid or inflexible.