stiff-necked

adjective

Having a stiff neck; suffering from torticollis

Similar
stubbornobstinateunregenerate
OriginHebrew קשה ערף →
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Meanings

adjectivestiff-necked (comparative more stiff-necked, superlative most stiff-necked)

comparative more stiff-necked · superlative most stiff-necked

  1. literallyHaving a stiff neck; suffering from torticollis
  2. figurativelyStubborn and arrogant.

    For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 33:5

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivehaughtily stubborn

Similar
stubbornobstinateunregenerate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Hebrewקשה ערף
  2. Englishstiff-necked

From stiff + neck + -ed. (figurative): Calque of Hebrew קשה ערף (Exodus 33). A biblical term similar to Swedish styvnackad, Ancient Greek σκληροτράχηλος (sklērotrákhēlos), Russian жестоковыйный (žestokovyjnyj), German halsstarrig etc.

More words from Hebrew

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek σκληροτράχηλος
  • σκληροτράχηλος (sklērotrákhēlos)stubborn
Bulgarian твърдоглав
  • твърдоглав (tvărdoglav)stubborn
Dutch hardnekkig
  • hardnekkigstubborn
Esperanto malmolnuka
  • malmolnukastubborn
German steifnackig, hartnäckig
  • steifnackigstubborn
  • hartnäckigstubborn
Hebrew קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף
  • קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף (qshe 'óref)stubborn
Irish cruamhuineálach
  • cruamhuineálachstubborn
Latin contumax
  • contumaxstubborn
Norwegian Bokmål stivnakket, hardnakket
  • stivnakketstubborn
  • hardnakketstubborn
  • urokkeligstubborn
  • halsstarrigstubborn
Russian упря́мый, жестоковы́йный
  • упря́мый (uprjámyj)stubborn
  • жестоковы́йный (žestokovýjnyj)stubborn
Scottish Gaelic rag-mhuinealach
  • rag-mhuinealachstubborn
Swedish styvnackad, hårdnackad
  • styvnackadstubborn
  • hårdnackadstubborn
Cite this entry
APA

stiff-necked. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stiff-necked

MLA

“stiff-necked.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stiff-necked. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stiff-necked,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stiff-necked.

Source: stiff-necked on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.