1. The physical property of being inflexible and hard to bend
   "The stiffness of the new shoes made them uncomfortable to wear"
    
2. The property of moving with pain or difficulty
   "he awoke with a painful stiffness in his neck"
    
3. Firm resoluteness in purpose, opinion or action
   "a charming host without any touch of stiffness or pomposity"
    
4. Excessive or stern strictness in attitude, judgment, or treatment
   "the stiffness of the fine was surprising";
   - severity, severeness [rare], harshness, rigor [US], rigour [Brit, Cdn], rigorousness, inclemency [archaic]
    
5. The inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment)
   "His stiffness in social situations made others uncomfortable";
   - awkwardness, clumsiness, gracelessness

Type of: awkwardness, clumsiness, firmness, firmness of purpose, inelasticity, inelegance, resoluteness, resolution, resolve, sternness, strictness

Encyclopedia: Stiffness