Meaning & use

rigid

adjective·Academic

Not able to bend or be changed easily; strict, fixed, or unyielding in form or attitude.

See it in a sentence

The old rules were so rigid that even small exceptions required months of approval.

A rigid steel frame keeps the bridge from swaying in strong winds.

A note on using this word

Rigid applies both to physical materials that resist bending and to people or systems that resist change, so context determines which sense is meant.

Words with a similar meaning

stiffinflexiblestrict

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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