inflexible
Americanadjective
-
not flexible; incapable of or resistant to being bent; rigid.
an inflexible steel rod.
- Synonyms:
- stiff, unbendable
-
of a rigid or unyielding temper, purpose, will, etc.; immovable.
an inflexible determination.
- Synonyms:
- adamant, unbending, obdurate, intractable, obstinate, stubborn, unremitting, unrelenting, stern, rigorous
- Antonyms:
- amenable
-
not permitting change or variation; unalterable.
inflexible rules.
- Synonyms:
- undeviating
adjective
-
not flexible; rigid; stiff
-
obstinate; unyielding
-
without variation; unalterable; fixed
Related Words
Inflexible, relentless, implacable, inexorable imply having the quality of not being turned from a purpose. Inflexible means unbending, adhering undeviatingly to a set plan, purpose, or the like: inflexible in interpretation of rules; an inflexible will. Relentless suggests so pitiless and unremitting a pursuit of purpose as to convey a sense of inevitableness: as relentless as the passing of time. Implacable means incapable of being placated or appeased: implacable in wrath. Inexorable means unmoved by prayer or entreaty: inexorable in demanding payment.
Other Word Forms
- inflexibility noun
- inflexibleness noun
- inflexibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of inflexible
1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin inflexibilis “rigid, unbending.” See in- 3, flexible
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.
Administrators PwC said this week it had a "high concentration" of inflexible, long-term leases that prevented it from reducing costs or scrapping unprofitable sites.
From BBC
It said after consistently losing money, NCP could no longer afford to pay its creditors and was unable to scrap "long-term, inflexible" leases on loss-making sites.
From BBC
If Anthropic was too inflexible, the Pentagon could have simply terminated the contract.
Johnson and other lawmakers criticized the agency at a hearing last week for being too inflexible on rare diseases and not listening to patients willing to tolerate high risks for the chance of better health.
His daughter switched schools two years ago, and one of the main reasons was her school's inflexible uniform policy, he says.
From BBC
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.
