Stiffening is when something becomes more rigid and less flexible. Imagine your arm is a piece of spaghetti, it's very flexible and can bend easily. But if you leave the spaghetti out in the sun for a long time, it starts to dry out and becomes stiff. This means it is harder to bend your arm, just like it's harder to bend the stiff spaghetti.
The same thing can happen to different materials like clothes or even our bodies. When we get cold, our muscles can stiffen up, making it harder to move around. But if we do some stretches or move around, we can "loosen up" our body and become more flexible again.
Stiffening can also happen to objects like buildings or bridges. Sometimes, if they are not built properly or if they are very old, they can become stiff and less able to handle stress or movement. This is why engineers and architects have to make sure their designs are strong enough and flexible enough to withstand different conditions.
Overall, stiffening is when something becomes less flexible and more rigid. It can happen to different materials like our bodies or objects like buildings.