as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
sometimes the rigidity of the headmaster's discipline was deemed excessive by even much of the faculty
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Recent Examples of rigidity
The freedom-loving sign tends to struggle with routine and rigidity, making a pairing with comfort creature Taurus particularly challenging.
—
Maressa Brown, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Check the stems for rigidity and make sure that plant material is clean with no indications of mold or decay.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Athletes in these sports also experience high demands of constant competition, rigidity around their dieting and exercise schedule, high energy output and an incredibly high mental and physical strain on their bodies.
—Emily Hemendinger, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for rigidity
Maressa Brown, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Check the stems for rigidity and make sure that plant material is clean with no indications of mold or decay.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Athletes in these sports also experience high demands of constant competition, rigidity around their dieting and exercise schedule, high energy output and an incredibly high mental and physical strain on their bodies.
—Emily Hemendinger, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for rigidity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigidity
severity
Noun
-
The war’s impact on inflation depends on its severity and duration as well as the magnitude of the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow corridor through which one in five barrels of oil around the world flow.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The severity of McBride’s injury put more emphasis on the Knicks front office to fill the void behind Brunson.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rigidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigidity. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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