different between stiff vs clumsy
stiff
English
Etymology
From Middle English stiff, stiffe, stif, from Old English st?f, from Proto-Germanic *st?faz (compare West Frisian stiif,Dutch stijf, Norwegian Bokmål stiv, German steif), from Proto-Indo-European *steypós (compare Latin st?pes, st?p?, from which English stevedore).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /st?f/
- Rhymes: -?f
Adjective
stiff (comparative stiffer, superlative stiffest)
- (of an object) Rigid; hard to bend; inflexible.
- “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
- (figuratively, of policies and rules and their application and enforcement) Inflexible; rigid.
- (of a person) Formal in behavior; unrelaxed.
- (colloquial) Harsh, severe.
- (of muscles or parts of the body) Painful as a result of excessive or unaccustomed exercise.
- Potent.
- Dead, deceased.
- (of a penis) Erect.
- (cooking, of whipping cream or egg whites) Beaten until so aerated that they stand up straight on their own.
- beat the egg whites until they are stiff
- (mathematics) Of an equation: for which certain numerical solving methods are numerically unstable, unless the step size is taken to be extremely small.
- (nautical) Keeping upright.
Quotations
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:stiff.
Derived terms
- bored stiff, scared stiff
- stiff-lipped, stiff upper lip
- stiffy
Translations
Noun
stiff (countable and uncountable, plural stiffs)
- (slang) An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff.
- A Working Stiff's Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember was published in 2003.
- (slang) A person who is deceived, as a mark or pigeon in a swindle.
- She convinced the stiff to go to her hotel room, where her henchman was waiting to rob him.
- (slang) A cadaver; a dead person.
- (slang) A flop; a commercial failure.
- 1994, Andy Dougan, The actors' director: Richard Attenborough behind the camera (page 63)
- If the movie was a stiff it wasn't any of their specific faults. They were all in it together and they were jobbed in and jobbed out for two weeks and gone and they got a pile of money for their efforts.
- 2016, Ralph J. Gleason, Toby Gleason, Music in the Air: The Selected Writings of Ralph J. Gleason
- They never did sell any records. I don't mean they didn't sell 100,000. I mean they didn't sell 5000. Total. National. Coast-to-coast. The record was a stiff.
- 1994, Andy Dougan, The actors' director: Richard Attenborough behind the camera (page 63)
- (US, slang) A person who leaves (especially a restaurant) without paying the bill.
- (US, slang, by extension) A customer who does not leave a tip.
- (blackjack) Any hard hand where it is possible to exceed 21 by drawing an additional card.
- (finance, slang) Negotiable instruments, possibly forged.
- (prison slang) A note or letter surreptitiously sent by an inmate.
References
- (prison slang: a note or letter): 2015, Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of the Underworld: British and American (page 688); 2015, Noel 'Razor' Smith, The Criminal Alphabet: An A-Z of Prison Slang
See also
- bindlestiff
- See also Thesaurus:corpse, Thesaurus:body
Translations
Derived terms
- do a bit of stiff
- working stiff
Verb
stiff (third-person singular simple present stiffs, present participle stiffing, simple past and past participle stiffed)
- To fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.
- Realizing he had forgotten his wallet, he stiffed the taxi driver when the cab stopped for a red light.
- 1946, William Foote Whyte, Industry and Society, page 129
- We asked one girl to explain how she felt when she was "stiffed." She said, You think of all the work you've done and how you've tried to please [them…].
- to cheat someone
- 1992, Stephen Birmingham, Shades of Fortune, page 451
- You see, poor Nonie really was stiffed by Adolph in his will. He really stiffed her, Rose, and I really wanted to right that wrong.
- 1992, Stephen Birmingham, Shades of Fortune, page 451
- to tip ungenerously
- 2007, Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before, page 154
- Then he stiffed the waiter with a cheap tip.
- 2007, Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before, page 154
Translations
Anagrams
- TIFFs, tiffs
Middle English
Adjective
stiff
- Alternative form of stif
Adverb
stiff
- Alternative form of stif
stiff From the web:
- what stiffness shaft for driver
- what stiffness shaft for irons
- what stiff means
- what stiffness shaft should i use
- what stiffness is wedge flex
- what stiffens fabric
- what stiffness shaft for hybrid
- what stiffness should my driver be
clumsy
English
Etymology
Possibly from an alteration of clumsed (“benumbed”) or from clumse (“a stupid fellow; lout”) +? -y. More at clumse.
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /?kl?mzi/
Adjective
clumsy (comparative clumsier, superlative clumsiest)
- Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous.
- He's very clumsy. I wouldn't trust him with carrying the dishes.
- Not elegant or well-planned, lacking tact or subtlety.
- It is a clumsy solution, but it might work for now.
- What a clumsy joke...
- Awkward or inefficient in use or construction, difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape.
Translations
Noun
clumsy (plural clumsies)
- (informal, fairly rare) A clumsy person.
- 1934, P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins
- “Well, you are a clumsy,” said Ellen, as she bent down to mop up the water. “That was for your father’s shaving.”
- 1934, P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins
Synonyms
- butterfingers
- galoot
- klutz
Translations
See also
- clumsies
Anagrams
- cumyls, muscly
clumsy From the web:
- what clumsy means
- what clumsy in tagalog
- what's clumsy in spanish
- what clumsy person
- clumsy person meaning
- what clumsy means in portuguese
- what clumsy mean in spanish
- what clumsy ninja
Share
Tweet
+1
Share
Pin
Like
Send
Share
you may also like
- stiff vs clumsy
- bitter vs raw
- incalculable vs limitless
- solemnise vs glorify
- yard vs mill
- alien vs transoceanic
- inheritor vs legatee
- collection vs band
- clang vs clash
- enjoyment vs gladness
- conceivable vs acceptable
- phlegmatic vs indolent
- variable vs faddish
- drive vs movement
- clement vs pampering
- sensational vs stagy
- alternating vs vacillating
- dismay vs qualm
- stealthy vs wily
- sphere vs line