stiff-necked

1
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude he was too stiff-necked to admit that "underlings" might have useful ideas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stiff-necked But some Jews stubbornly refused to assimilate and continued the sometimes strange and stiff-necked traditions of our people. TIME, 11 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff-necked
Adjective
  • The targets of Trump’s economic aggression will accept greater hardship to preserve their dignity than American voters will for the privilege of acting like arrogant menaces.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
  • This feud carries on today, with Hogan having called out Hart for being too arrogant.
    David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • On April 30, the Senate committee that oversees NASA and other federal science agencies gave Isaacman its nod to advance to a formal confirmation vote in the full chamber.
    Leonard David, Scientific American, 8 May 2025
  • Mystery Castle, Phoenix, Arizona, constructed between 1934 and 1945 by Boyce Luther Gulley, who built the complex by hand for his daughter Mary Lou without plans, permits, or formal architectural or engineering training.
    Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Get The Recipe Smart Move Similar recipes with beans and peas existed before then, but a challenge made to a stubborn chef named Helen Corbitt spurred the creation of Texas caviar.
    Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 17 May 2025
  • When tragedy strikes on Michigan roads—when a car skids off an icy bend or a semi-truck barrels through a red light—victims are often left to face not only devastating injuries but also a daunting legal maze of corporate denials and stubborn insurers.
    William Jones, USA Today, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • My life was just 93 more respondents away from being cosmically deemed correct!
    Jessie Rosen, People.com, 3 May 2025
  • The directionally correct, if poorly executed: DOGE, gang deportations, the ...
    NR Editors, National Review, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • The chairman was adamant this bill can still pass by Johnson's goal of Memorial Day.
    Lauren Peller, ABC News, 16 May 2025
  • Valli remains adamant about the importance of fashion as escapism.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • Also left behind: the Beaver State’s colder weather and stiff personal income tax.
    William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • That caused the committee to reconsider and support the stiffer penalty of expulsion, Goldsmith alleged.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Half Dome comes with a footprint, which is a rarity these days, and nice to have.
    Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 16 May 2025
  • However, a very nice man let us in, much to the chagrin of a lady who did not want to let us in.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Far from solemn, the atmosphere has turned into a party of thousands.
    Katie Primm, NBC news, 9 May 2025
  • The march traces the path from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the Nazi death camps in occupied Poland, in a solemn tribute to the victims and in honor of the survivors and their liberators.
    Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stiff-necked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff-necked. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!