stiff necked

USAGE SUMMARY

"stiff necked" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone who is stubborn or inflexible in their opinions or behavior. Example: "Despite the evidence presented, he remained stiff necked in his beliefs." Alternative expressions include "unyielding" and "obstinate."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Their turkey-cocking and stiff necked strutting around the stage, constant interruptions and open disdain for each other could have been calculated to offend those already unimpressed by politicians.One final group scored a win: undecided voters.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

She was vulnerable and sympathetic one moment, proud and stiff-necked the next.

The New York Times

He admitted to himself that he'd been at once stiff-necked and craven.

The New Yorker

In the Book of Exodus, God complains that the Jews are "a stiff-necked people".

The New York Times - Books

An attraction of OMA is that they are less stiff-necked than other practices.

The Guardian - Arts

So do benefits investigators, who are fed up with being seen as stiff-necked busybodies or worse amateur detectives.

The Economist

"What is it that you want?" I said finally, not bothering to conceal my irritation with this stiff-necked man.

The New Yorker

Portraying Freud as a witty patriarch, the film seems to side with him against his stiff-necked protégé.

The Economist

IN other families, the change in status is so deeply dividing that siblings repudiate generous gestures with stiff-necked pride.

The New York Times

Gavilan's protestations that he just doesn't get hip-hop may be stiff-necked Motown nostalgia or Columbo-style guilelessness.

The New York Times

Cohen, a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, seems to have a special interest in stiff-necked Jews.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using the hyphenated version "stiff-necked" when the phrase precedes a noun, as this is the standard orthographic convention in most professional style guides.

Common error

Do not use "stiff necked" to describe a physical ailment or muscle pain. While technically correct in a literal sense, the phrase is so heavily associated with the biblical and metaphorical meaning of 'stubborn' that it may confuse readers in a medical context.

Linguistic Context

As demonstrated in Ludwig, "stiff necked" functions primarily as a compound adjective. It typically modifies nouns representing people, organizations, or behaviors. In the examples provided by Ludwig AI, it is frequently used to characterize politicians, historical figures, and groups perceived as resistant to change or authority.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Science

2%

Social Media

1%

Academic

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "stiff necked" is a well-established idiomatic adjective used to describe stubborn and inflexible behavior, typically rooted in pride. Based on the extensive data from Ludwig AI, the term is highly prevalent in quality journalism and literary criticism. While the unhyphenated form appears in search results, standard English conventions often prefer the hyphenated "stiff-necked" version when used as a modifier. Its biblical origins lend it a layer of gravity that simpler synonyms like "stubborn" lack. Writers should feel confident using this phrase in professional and creative contexts to provide a nuanced description of character and temperament, while avoiding it in purely medical or literal scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

stiff-necked

uses the standard hyphenated form often preferred in formal writing

obstinate

implies a more perverse or annoying persistence in one's opinion

unyielding

suggests a refusal to give way under pressure or persuasion

inflexible

focuses on the inability to change or adapt to new situations

intransigent

more formal and typically used in political or professional disputes

stubborn

provides a simpler and more common everyday alternative

bullheaded

more informal and suggests a mindless or blunt persistence

mulish

conveys stubbornness through an animal-based metaphor

headstrong

implies someone who is determined to have their own way regardless of advice

recalcitrant

formal term suggesting a defiant resistance to authority

FAQs

What is the meaning of "stiff necked"?

The phrase "stiff necked" describes someone who is haughty, stubborn, and refuses to change their mind. It is often used to describe characters who are prideful to a fault, as seen in the many examples provided by Ludwig.

Should I use a hyphen in "stiff necked"?

In most cases, yes. When used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., a "stiff-necked person"), it should be hyphenated. Without the hyphen, it is usually found in predicate positions, though modern usage increasingly favors the hyphen in all contexts.

Is "stiff necked" a formal phrase?

It is considered neutral to formal. Because of its biblical origins (appearing frequently in Exodus), it carries a literary weight that makes it more sophisticated than saying someone is simply "stubborn".

What is a good synonym for "stiff necked"?

Depending on the nuance, you can use "unyielding" for a more neutral tone, or "obstinate" if you want to imply that the person is being difficult on purpose.