rigid
Americanadjective
-
stiff or unyielding; not pliant or flexible; hard.
a rigid strip of metal.
- Synonyms:
- inflexible, firm, unbending
- Antonyms:
- elastic
-
firmly fixed or set.
-
inflexible, strict, or severe.
a rigid disciplinarian; rigid rules of social behavior.
- Synonyms:
- unyielding, stern, austere
- Antonyms:
- lax
-
exacting; thorough; rigorous.
a rigid examination.
- Synonyms:
- demanding
-
so as to meet precise standards; stringent.
lenses ground to rigid specifications.
- Synonyms:
- demanding
-
Mechanics. of, relating to, or noting a body in which the distance between any pair of points remains fixed under all forces; having infinite values for its shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Young's modulus.
-
Aeronautics.
-
(of an airship or dirigible) having a form maintained by a stiff, unyielding structure contained within the envelope.
-
pertaining to a helicopter rotor that is held fixedly at its root.
-
adjective
-
not bending; physically inflexible or stiff
a rigid piece of plastic
-
unbending; rigorously strict; severe
rigid rules
adverb
Usage
What does rigid mean? Rigid means stiff and inflexible. It can be used in both literal and figurative ways.For example, a material like plastic might be described as rigid if it does not bend or bend easily. A person might be described as rigid if they are very strict and unwilling to bend the rules. Rules themselves can also be described as rigid if they are very strict or rigorous, as in The boarding school had a rigid set of rules designed to keep students in line. When used to describe a person or their personality as inflexible, rigid is almost always used negatively, as in Try not to be so rigid—you have to learn to go with the flow sometimes.The related noun rigidity refers to the state or quality of being rigid in both literal and figurative senses.Example: When using heavy acrylic paints, It’s best to paint on a rigid canvas so the paint won’t bleed and the canvas will hold its shape over time.
Related Words
See strict.
Other Word Forms
- overrigid adjective
- overrigidity noun
- overrigidly adverb
- overrigidness noun
- rigidity noun
- rigidly adverb
- rigidness noun
- subrigid adjective
- subrigidity noun
- subrigidly adverb
- subrigidness noun
- unrigid adjective
- unrigidly adverb
- unrigidness noun
Etymology
Origin of rigid
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin rigidus, equivalent to rig(ēre) “to be stiff, stiffen” + -idus -id 4
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a city that feels rigid with concern about its own image projection, jazz is the only music that demands we abandon script.
From Los Angeles Times
As soon as the temperature reaches the melting point, the rigid structure of ice collapses into liquid water.
From Science Daily
Eventually she stepped back and extended a rigid arm, which he shook.
From Literature
In challenging the rigid conventions of ballet, Martha Graham redefined what dance looked like in the 20th century.
Taken together, the findings indicate that a rigid colon environment may help trigger and accelerate colorectal cancer in younger patients, Dr. Huang said.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
