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Definition
Inflexible, rigid, and unable to adapt.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Describes someone or something that lacks spontaneity and follows rules or patterns too strictly. It carries a slightly critical tone, implying that the person or method is stuck in a rut and unable to handle unexpected situations. While it can apply to objects, it is most frequently used to critique human behavior or organizational processes.
Examples
He is very rigid in his work and doesn't know how to adapt at all.
Related words
Common phrases
inflexible way of doing things
rigid rules
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of a hard board, as the figurative usage is far more common in daily speech. Learners often use it to describe physical hardness, but it is strictly reserved for abstract rigidity or lack of flexibility.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
