HyperDic: stiffen

English > 3 senses of the word *stiffen*:
VERB	change	stiffen	become stiff or stiffer
	change	stiffen	make stiff or stiffer
	change	stiffen, tighten, tighten up, constrain	restrict

stiffen > pronunciation
Sounds	stih'fahn
Rhymes	Aachen ... Zukerman: 2572 rhymes with ahn...

English > *stiffen*: 3 senses > verb 1, change
Meaning	Become stiff or stiffer.
Pattern	Something ----s; Somebody ----s
Example	"He stiffened when he saw his boss enter the room"
Caused by	stiffen	make stiff or stiffer
Narrower	rigidify	Become rigid / rigid
Broader	change	Undergo a change
Opposite	loosen, relax, loose	Become loose or looser or less tight / tight / tight / tight
Spanish	agarrotarse, atiesar
Catalan	encallir-se, encartonar-se, endurir-se, endurir, enfortir-se, engarrotar-se, enravenar, tibar
Nouns	stiffening	the act of becoming stiff

English > *stiffen*: 3 senses > verb 2, change
Meaning	make stiff or stiffer.
Pattern	Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something
Example	"Stiffen the cream by adding gelatine"
Cause to	stiffen	Become stiff or stiffer
Narrower	buckram	stiffen with or as with buckram
	rigidify, ossify, petrify	make rigid / rigid / rigid and set into a conventional pattern
	starch	stiffen with starch
Broader	change, alter, modify	Cause to change
Opposite	loosen, loose	make loose or looser
Spanish	agarrotar, atiesar, endurecer
Catalan	encallir-se, encartonar-se, endurir-se, endurir, enfortir-se, engarrotar-se, enravenar
Nouns	stiffener	material used for stiffening something
Nouns	stiffening	the process of becoming stiff or rigid

English > *stiffen*: 3 senses > verb 3, change
Meaning	restrict.
Pattern	Somebody ----s something
Example	"stiffen the regulations"
Synonyms	tighten, tighten up, constrain
Broader	restrict, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttle	place limits on (extent or access)
Spanish	constreñirse, constreñir, endurecerse, endurecer, restringir
Catalan	endurir-se, enrigidir-se

©2001-25 · HyperDic hyper-dictionary · Contact

English | Spanish | Catalan
Privacy | Robots