What does rigid mean?
Rigid describes something that is stiff, fixed, or resistant to change. The word is often used for physical objects, as in a rigid frame or a rigid body, and it has a strong technical use in physics for materials that do not readily deform. In everyday and institutional contexts, rigid describes rules, systems, attitudes, or people that are strict, inflexible, or resistant to adaptation. A rigid schedule offers stability and predictability but can make change difficult; a rigid attitude may suggest firmness, or sometimes excessive stubbornness. The word is related in origin to rigor and rigorous, and it conveys the core idea of something that holds its shape or refuses to yield.
Stiff or inflexible; resistant to bending, movement, or change.
"The rigid metal frame supported the roof without deforming."
In physics and engineering, the term describes a body or material that resists deformation.
Strict, fixed, or unwilling to adapt or make exceptions.
"The organization maintained a rigid policy for granting financial aid."
This figurative use is common in descriptions of rules, systems, traditions, and attitudes.
Harsh, severe, or inflexible in manner or treatment.
"He faced a rigid and unforgiving response after the disciplinary inquiry."
This sense is less common than the senses meaning physically stiff or figuratively strict.
From the Latin rigidus, meaning stiff or unbending, rigid still describes both physical objects and rules that refuse to bend.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rigid come from?
Rigid entered English in the early 17th century from Latin rigidus, meaning stiff, unbending, or severe. Latin rigidus was associated with the idea of a stretched or taut condition and developed meanings beyond physical stiffness, including strictness and severity. The word belongs to a wider Latin family associated with the root regere, 'to direct or rule,' which also underlies regular and regiment.
Related word forms
How rigid is actually used
The figurative senses are common and can describe rules, institutions, attitudes, or principles. In scientific and technical contexts, especially physics and engineering, it refers primarily to an object's resistance to deformation.
Easily confused with rigid
Rigid means stiff or inflexible, while ridged means marked with or shaped into raised lines or ridges.
Rigid describes something that is stiff or inflexible, while rigged means arranged, prepared, or equipped for a particular purpose.