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Glite Dictionary
🤕 A sore neck 🙅 A stubborn person
stiffneck

stiffneck

9.3
A person who refuses to change their mind or actions
  • noun
  • /ˈstɪfˌnɛk/
  • Offensive
translation icon : cabezón
  • Despite everyone's advice, the stiffneck refused to consider any other options.

Examples

  • His reputation as a stiffneck made negotiations challenging for the whole group.

  • Being a stiffneck can make it difficult to work in a team environment.

  • He is such a stiffneck when it comes to politics.

  • Don't be a stiffneck and listen to other opinions!

  • Her reputation for being a stiffneck meant that few people were willing to discuss new ideas with her.

  • In his stubbornness, he proved to be a real stiffneck, refusing to listen to anyone else's viewpoint.

  • As a stiffneck, she often struggled to adapt to changes in the workplace.

Synonyms

diehard
vsstiffneck
19 6.8

A person who stays loyal to a belief, group, or team and refuses to change

emphasizes stubborn refusal without implying extreme loyalty
hardliner
vsstiffneck
19 7.5

A person who refuses to change their beliefs, especially in politics

is more general and applies beyond politics or ideology
hardhead
vsstiffneck
  • Informal
1 6.6

A person who is stubborn and does not change their mind

focuses only on stubborn refusal to change without practicality
cabezon
vsstiffneck
  • Slang
9.9

A person who refuses to change their mind or plans

means the same stubborn refusal to change opinion or behavior

How Stubborn

intransigent
8 8.1
stubborn
217 2.9
stiffneck
  • Offensive
9.3
reluctant
247 3.5
open-minded
80 3.7

Surface Forms

stiffneck singular
stiffnecks plural

Morphology

stiffneck = stiff + neck (semi-transparent) = stiff + neck

The meaning is a metaphorical extension from a physically 'stiff neck' to a person who is rigid in opinions; the components are identifiable but the figurative sense is idiomatic.

Etymology

Stiffneck combines stiff ('rigid') and neck to give a clear picture of someone whose neck will not turn. That's why calling someone a stiffneck means they are stubborn and won't change their mind.