Synonyms of rigidity

rigidity

noun

rə-ˈji-də-tē 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• severity
• rigidness
• inflexibility
• strictness
• sternness
• hardness
• stringency
• harshness
• rigorousness
• rigor
• exactingness
• obduracy
• implacability
• callousness
• gruffness
• steadfastness
• resolve
• pitilessness
• monasticism
• firmness
• obstinacy
• stubbornness
• determination
• dourness
• hard-heartedness
• asceticism
• obdurateness
• austerity
• austereness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flexibility
• tolerance
• gentleness
• softness
• patience
• tenderness
• indulgence
• kindness
• laxness
• responsiveness
• willingness
• forbearance
• mildness
• compliance
• lenience
• pliability
• pliancy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rigidity

There may not be quite as many small-time sailors in the harbor this time, owing to the rigidity that has become inevitable since the 9/11 attacks, but plenty of weekend captains will make their way here. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 30 June 2026

Ekman’s seven-point system, however useful as a package, leans toward rigidity, turning the face once again into a surface to be decoded. — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

The rigidity and delusions of tyrannies are incorrigible; their purity spirals end in executions, not just cancellations; their adventures end in devastation and slaughter. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

But what struck me beyond his (to my mind) rigidity about roles was that his response to the disagreement was to shut down and refuse to talk to her. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 25 June 2026