as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
the principal's inflexibility in matters of discipline is the stuff of school legend
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Recent Examples of inflexibility
The Red Sox could also try to move on from Masataka Yoshida, though his contract, injury history and positional inflexibility will hamper his trade value.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Roster inflexibility could further complicate matters.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
And many folks thought that that was a type of dogmatism and inflexibility that was not productive.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
But there is also such a thing as being too good, where your own purity takes precedence over all else, leading to inflexibility and inaction.
—Shadi Hamid, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
An impressive defensive coach, he has occasionally been criticized for a certain regular season inflexibility in his rotations and overplaying his best contributors.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
However, the reality is that the inherent inflexibility of immutability is essential to ensuring business resiliency and provides the invaluable peace of mind that comes with knowing data will always be there, ready to be recovered, no matter what.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Structural inflexibility is forcing unnecessary trade-offs.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Roster inflexibility could further complicate matters.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
And many folks thought that that was a type of dogmatism and inflexibility that was not productive.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
But there is also such a thing as being too good, where your own purity takes precedence over all else, leading to inflexibility and inaction.
—Shadi Hamid, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
An impressive defensive coach, he has occasionally been criticized for a certain regular season inflexibility in his rotations and overplaying his best contributors.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
However, the reality is that the inherent inflexibility of immutability is essential to ensuring business resiliency and provides the invaluable peace of mind that comes with knowing data will always be there, ready to be recovered, no matter what.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Structural inflexibility is forcing unnecessary trade-offs.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflexibility
Noun
-
Depending on the severity, menopause symptoms can affect a woman’s quality of life.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The severity of the weather was aggravated by heat in Chicago, where highs were reaching over 90 degrees.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
According to some who knew and studied him, his rigidity masked a lack of confidence in his own judgment.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The changes, along with updates like an independent front suspension and a 50 percent increase in structural rigidity, helped push the Land Cruiser even further up the prestige ladder.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflexibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflexibility. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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