Stiff vs Awkward - What's the difference?
stiff | awkward |
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.
(lb) Of policies and rules and their application and enforcement, inflexible.
Of a person, formal in behavior, unrelaxed.
(lb) 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.
An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff''''' or ''lucky '''stiff .
A person who is deceived, as a mark or pigeon in a swindle.
(slang) A cadaver, a dead person.
(US) A person who leaves (especially a restaurant) without paying the bill.
Any hard hand where it is possible to exceed 21 by drawing an additional card.
To fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.
* 1946 , William Foote Whyte, Industry and Society , page 129
* 1992 , Stephen Birmingham, Shades of Fortune , page 451
* 2007 , Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before , page 154
(obsolete) In a backwards direction.
*, Bk.V, Ch.x:
Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments
Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing
Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
Perverse; adverse; difficult to handle
As adjectives the difference between stiff and awkward
is that stiff is of an object, rigid, hard to bend, inflexible while awkward is lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.As a noun stiff
is an average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff.As a verb stiff
is to fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.As an adverb awkward is
in a backwards direction.stiff
English
Adjective
(er)Quotations
* (English Citations of "stiff")Derived terms
* stiffyNoun
(en noun)- 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.
- She convinced the stiff to go to her hotel room, where her henchman was waiting to rob him.
See also
* bindlestiff * See also ,Verb
(en verb)- Realizing he had forgotten his wallet, he stiffed the taxi driver when the cab stopped for a red light.
- 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…].
- 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.
- Then he stiffed the waiter with a cheap tip.
Anagrams
*awkward
English
Adverb
(en adverb)- Than groned the knyght for his grymme woundis, and gyrdis to Sir Gawayne and awkewarde hym strykes, and.
Adjective
(en-adj)- John was awkward at performing the trick. He'll have to practice to improve.
- That was an extremely awkward moment. Everyone was watching.
- An awkward silence had fallen.
- I'm very awkward at parties.
- Things get very awkward whenever 60-year old men use cheesy pick-up lines on me.
- He's a right awkward chap.
- These cabinets are going to be very awkward when we move.