stiffness

Noun

WordNet 3.0

Noun (5)

  1. the physical property of being inflexible and hard to bend
  2. the property of moving with pain or difficulty“he awoke with a painful stiffness in his neck”
  3. firm resoluteness in purpose or opinion or action“a charming host without any touch of stiffness or pomposity”
  4. the inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment)Synonyms: awkwardnessclumsinessgracelessness
  5. excessive sternness“severity of character”“the harshness of his punishment was inhuman”“the rigors of boot camp”Synonyms: severityseverenessharshnessrigorrigourrigorousnessrigourousnessinclemencyhardness
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Stiffness \Stiff"ness\, n. The quality or state of being stiff; as, the stiffness of cloth or of paste; stiffness of manner; stiffness of character. [1913 Webster]

The vices of old age have the stiffness of it too. --South. [1913 Webster]

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