How to say "stiff" in Japanese

• ぎこちないCommon
  i-adjectiveStiff in the sense of awkward and unnatural: movements, gestures, or speech that lack smoothness, often through nervousness or inexperience; it stresses clumsiness rather than formality.
  彼かれは動作どうさがぎこちない。↗

  He is awkward in his movements.
• 堅苦しいかたくるしいCommon
  i-adjectiveThe word for stiffness that comes from formality: a strict, ceremonious person, manner, or atmosphere that lacks ease and relaxation.
  堅苦かたくるしいことはぬきにしましょう。↗

  Let's dispense with formalities.
• 硬いかたいJLPT N4approx.Common
  i-adjectiveThe literal sense: physically stiff or tight, not bending or relaxing easily, as with muscles or objects; it also describes writing that is stiff, wooden, or unpolished.
  このふたは固かたくて取とれないよ。↗

  This lid is too tight for me to open.
• 窮屈きゅうくつJLPT N1approx.Common
  na-adjective, nounClosely overlaps 堅苦しい for the formal, stiff sense, but its core idea is being tight or cramped, so it often presents stiffness as a feeling of constraint or discomfort.

Use 「硬い」 for literal physical stiffness and for wooden, unpolished writing, 「ぎこちない」 for awkward, unnatural movement or manner, 「堅苦しい」 for formal, ceremonious stiffness, and 窮屈 when stiffness feels like constraint or discomfort.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ぎこちないawkward
• 堅苦しいかたくるしいformal
• こわいtough
• ごわごわstiff
• ぎすぎすstiff (atmosphere, manner, etc.)
• ぎくしゃくawkward (movements, speech, etc.)
• しかつめらしいformal
• かしこまったformal
• かたっくるしいformal
• 硬いかたいstiff
• きっとhaving no slack
• ばりばりstiff
• 窮屈きゅうくつformal
• スクエアformal
• こりこりstiff (shoulders, neck, etc.)
• 詰屈きっくつstiff
• カチカチdry and hard
• がちがち(frozen, worried) stiff
• ごりごりhard (e.g. food)