Stiff vs Tense - What's the difference?
stiff | tense |
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
(grammar) Any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of being occurs or exists.
(grammar) To apply a tense to.
Showing signs of stress or strain; not relaxed.
Pulled taut, without any slack.
To make or become tense.
As adjectives the difference between stiff and tense
is that stiff is of an object, rigid, hard to bend, inflexible while tense is showing signs of stress or strain; not relaxed.As nouns the difference between stiff and tense
is that stiff is an average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff while tense is any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of being occurs or exists.As verbs the difference between stiff and tense
is that stiff is to fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily while tense is to apply a tense to.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
*tense
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) tens (modern French temps), from (etyl) tempus.Noun
(en noun)- The basic tenses in English are present, past and future.
Derived terms
* tensalVerb
(tens)- tensing a verb
Etymology 2
From (etyl) tensus, past participle of .Adjective
(er)- You need to relax, all this overtime and stress is making you tense .