🧑‍💼 Formality or stiffness 🍚 A lot of starch 👔 Stiff fabric

starchiness

1 8.3

A very formal, stiff way of behaving that feels unfriendly

noun
/ˈstɑːr.tʃi.nəs/

: rigidez

The starchiness of the ceremony gave it a very serious and formal atmosphere.

Examples

Her starchiness was evident in the way she addressed her colleagues.
His starchiness made it difficult for colleagues to relax around him at work.
Despite her starchiness, she was respected for her professionalism and attention to detail.
The starchiness of his speech made it hard to connect with the audience.
The director's speech was filled with a certain starchiness that made it hard for the audience to connect with him.
Although the meeting was important, the starchiness of the formal dress code added tension to the atmosphere.
Her polite responses were marked by a noticeable starchiness, making the conversation feel overly formal.

Synonyms

primness

vsstarchiness

1 7.7

Being very proper and formal in a way that feels stiff

is colder and stiffer in manner and lacks warmth

Antonyms

warmth

62 1.0

A friendly, kind feeling in the way someone speaks or acts

casualness

3 3.7

A relaxed, informal attitude that is not strict

How Formal

starchiness

1 8.3

primness

1 7.7

formality

57 4.4

reserve

7 5.2

informality

4 4.9

Surface Forms

starchiness singular

starchinesses plural

Morphology

starchiness = starchy (semi-transparent) = starch + y + ness

Formally built from 'starchy' + '-ness', but the sense 'very formal or stiff in manner' is a metaphorical extension of physical stiffness, so learners may not fully infer it.

Etymology

Starchiness comes from an old idea of starch meaning 'stiff' or 'strong'. People used starch to make shirts and collars hard, so calling someone 'starchy' or noting their starchiness means they are very formal and a little stiff.