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stiffen

stargazer

Senior Member
Slovenia, Slovenian
Hello, everyone!

I've got a slight problem with the verb "to stiffen". If someone stiffens - does it mean that he becomes unfriendly, or angry, or something similar to that, or something different? I'm looking for a synonym, a near-synonym, or maybe just an explanation - how you would describe such a state. Thanks! 👁 Smile :)
Hi Stargazer,

It means to become rigid. It's often used to describe a person who, suddenly, becomes frightened, or expects something dangerous or harmful to occur.

"He heard the crack of the rifle and stiffened, waiting for the impact of the bullet."

"The hostile journalist rose to ask a question, and the politician instinctively stiffened, expecting trouble."
"Stiffen" refers to an actual physical event--to become stiff or rigid. The cause of that bodily stiffening (anger, surprise, fear, death or sexual arousal) is whatever the cause is, and I would imagine must be referred to, or inferrable from context.

Or, as my Irish granny used to say when very tired, "I feel like I'm dead and I don't have the wit to stiffen".

And I don't know if inferrable is a word, or if I spelled it right.
Thanks, everyone! I just had to check because my dictionary suggested that it could also mean to become unfriendly, cold, etc. And this was inferable from the context. 👁 Big Grin :D
It's so nice to learn new words! If only my memory weren't so poor!
Stargazer,
My brain cells stiffen at the very mention of the word 'memory'!
Your dict. is correct...it may also mean to assume a brisk or unfriendly demeanor. In informal AE, a person who is cold and devoid of visible emotion is sometimes described as a stiff. Stiff is also used to describe a cadaver.
A STIFFIN is also a man looking for a woman.

"To stiffen it out" also means to reinforce.

It also looks like the US has decided to rebuild the Iraqi Army out of proven command elements. . . and to stiffen it out with Special Forces.
river said:
A STIFFIN is also a man looking for a woman.

Surely that's slang, River? It doesn't have the same spelling.

Whilst we're on the subject I must mention that terribly British phrase 'Keep a stiff upper lip' which means 'to face things bravely and not display any emotion in times of sorrow or adversity'.

But I digress...........

LRV
Oh, you're right. Pardon me, your Grace.
Thanks for clearing that up for me! I often find English words to have, say, two slightly different, or in a way similar meanings, and that's when you're faced with ambiguity. I think in "stiffen", there are two intricately combined qualities, 1) being stiff/rigid/etc., and 2) being angry/cold/etc. And you become 1) because you're 2). At least that's how I see it. Does anyone agree with that?
stargazer said:
Thanks for clearing that up for me! I often find English words to have, say, two slightly different, or in a way similar meanings, and that's when you're faced with ambiguity. I think in "stiffen", there are two intricately combined qualities, 1) being stiff/rigid/etc., and 2) being angry/cold/etc. And you become 1) because you're 2). At least that's how I see it. Does anyone agree with that?
Quite so. And that happens in all languages. I guess this is what you call a figurative use or a metaphor or whatever the specific names of Greek origin you use for each of those devices. 👁 Smile :)
(I don't know them even in my own mother tongue).
LV4-26 said:
Quite so. And that happens in all languages. I guess this is what you call a figurative use or a metaphor or whatever the specific names of Greek origin you use for each of those devices. 👁 Smile :)
(I don't know them even in my own mother tongue).

Exactly. The problem might occur when there are no corresponding metaphors in other languages. And that's when I usually ask you, nice people, to give me some ideas about the meaning of words. 👁 Smile :)
Thanks!
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