Synonyms for inflexible
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Rigid — not flexible; not capable of bending or being bent
rigid, stiff, intransigent, unbending, uncompromising, unyielding, obstinate, hard, stubborn, immovable, hard-line, strict, inexorable, dogged, adamantine, obdurate, ossified, firm, tough, close-minded, intractable, truculent
2. Bossy
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not flexible; not capable of bending or being bent.
- adj. 2
Not willing to change, e.g. one's opinion or habits.
Related words
- Word family
- inflexibility inflexibleness inflexibly
Choose the right word
The unyielding conduct which we approve we call decided, firm, inflexible, resolute; that which we condemn we are apt to term headstrong, obstinate, stubborn.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- rigid Ziri came across as overly rigid and unreasonable.
- uncompromising We have to be uncompromising on Algeria's national unity.
- intransigent He is a stubborn and intransigent demagogue.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| inflexible | steady | |
| rigid | falling | |
| uncompromising | steady | |
| intransigent | falling | |
| unbending | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- hard1, firm1
- 5 letters
- tough1, stiff1, rigid2, bossy2
- 6 letters
- strict1, dogged1
- 8 letters
- stubborn2, ossified3, obdurate3
- 9 letters
- immovable4, obstinate3, unbending3, truculent3, unelastic
- 10 letters
- unyielding3, inexorable5, adamantine
- 11 letters
- intractable4
- 12 letters
- intransigent4
- 14 letters
- uncompromising5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (rigid2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- inflexible
- Italiano
- inflessibile
- Español
- inflexible
- Deutsch
- unflexibel