"Stiffens" Natural Recordings by Native Speakers
verb (stiffens, stiffening, stiffened)
To become or make something stiff or unyielding.
Example: "The cold weather stiffens the back of my neck."
Prideful or stubborn, often to the point of being inflexible or uncooperative. A person with a stiff neck is one who is obstinate, resistant to change, or unwilling to compromise.
To be "stiffed" can have a few different meanings, depending on the context. Here are a few possible interpretations:<br><br>1. In finance: If someone stiffed someone else, it means they refused to pay a debt or bill, often due to a shortage of funds or an inability to pay. For example, "My friend stiffed me for the money he borrowed from me last week."<br><br>2. In business: Stiffing a business can also mean denying payment to someone for their work or services. For instance, "The company stiffed the artist on their royalties for the use of their music."<br><br>3. In law enforcement: To get stiff can also mean to be punished severely or given a harsh sentence, often because of a crime that's considered more serious than the usual. For example, "If you're caught selling hard drugs, you could get stiff."<br><br>4. In passive-aggressive behavior: Someone who gets stiffed can be seen as someone who remains uncooperative or distant. For example, "My brother has been stiffing me when it comes to family gatherings, so I haven't really kept in touch with him lately."<br><br>5. In common usage: Generally, stiffing can simply mean to skip out on one's tab, which means abandoning or neglecting to pay one's bills, work duties or obligations, or other conversational debts.
To become stiffer or less flexible; to firm or harden something.<br><br>Example: The cold weather stiffened the grass on the lawn.
Stiffeners are structural elements used to add strength and rigidity to a material or object. They are typically designed to resist deformation or bending, and are often used in construction, engineering, and manufacturing to improve the stability and durability of various materials, such as metals, composites, and textiles.
The verb "stiffening" refers to the act of becoming more rigid or firm, or making something stiffer.<br><br>In various contexts:<br><br> In medicine, stiffening can refer to the loss of flexibility or movement in a joint or a part of the body, often due to injury or disease.<br> In materials science, stiffening can refer to the process of making a material more rigid or rigidness in order to improve its mechanical properties.<br> In a military or athletic context, stiffening can refer to the act of becoming filled with a sense of pride, discipline, or determination, often in preparation for a challenge or competition.<br> In a stricter sense, stiffening can refer to the loss of fluidity or flexibility, as in a fast-moving liquid becoming thicker and more gel-like, or a situation becoming more formal or rigid.<br><br>In general, stiffening often implies a loss of flexibility or suppleness, and can be used to describe both physical and metaphorical changes.
The quality of being stiff or having a fixed inflexibility: the stiffness of his stance made him difficult to persuade.
1. To stiffen or make stiff: stiffy something up.<br>2. (Informal) To deliberately take a long time to do something.<br>3. To make or become less flexible.<br>4. A male erection (often with a sense of criticism or discomfort).<br>5. (Slang) To make something rigid or inflexible in a situation.
To be stifled means to be restrained or suppressed, often resulting in a sense of frustration or resentment. It can also refer to something being successfully prevented from progressing or developing.<br><br>Example: "Her creative ideas were stifled by her conservative parents."