stiffen C1 Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈstɪfən/ See IPA manual Freq #46098 Meanings 1 verb To become stiff, hard, or tense. She stiffened with fear when she heard footsteps. 2 verb To make something stiff or firmer. They stiffened the collar with a layer of plastic. Thesaurus Synonyms starken Word family Forms stiffenedstiffeningstiffens Derived forms nonstiffenednonstiffeningrestiffenstiffenerunstiffenunstiffened Related forms stiff Etymology AI details From Middle English stifnen, equivalent to stiff + -en. stifnen Middle English View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # stiffen **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈstɪfən/ **Frequency rank:** 46098 ## Meanings 1. To become stiff, hard, or tense. 2. To make something stiff or firmer. ## Examples - She stiffened with fear when she heard footsteps. - They stiffened the collar with a layer of plastic. ## Synonyms - starken ## Derived Forms - nonstiffened - nonstiffening - restiffen - stiffener - unstiffen - unstiffened ## Related Forms - stiff ## Roots and Affixes - Root: stifnen ## Etymology From Middle English stifnen, equivalent to stiff + -en. ## AI Etymology Stiffen is from Middle English stifnen, equivalent to stiff + -en. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean to become stiff, hard, or tense, or to make something stiff or firmer. Related forms include stiff. Derived formations include nonstiffened, nonstiffening, restiffen, stiffener, unstiffen. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown