Adjacent Words

inflexible definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: incapable of change; "a man of inflexible purpose" [ant: flexible]
2: not making concessions; "took an uncompromising stance in the peace talks"; "uncompromising honesty" [syn: uncompromising, sturdy, inflexible] [ant: compromising, conciliatory, flexible]
3: resistant to being bent; "an inflexible iron bar"; "an inflexible knife blade"; [ant: flexible, flexile]
4: incapable of adapting or changing to meet circumstances; "a rigid disciplinarian"; "an inflexible law"; "an unbending will to dominate" [syn: inflexible, rigid, unbending]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin inflexibilis, from in- + flexibilis flexible Date: 14th century 1. rigidly firm in will or purpose ; unyielding 2. not readily bent ; lacking or deficient in suppleness 3. incapable of change ; unalterable • inflexibility noun • inflexibleness noun • inflexibly adverb Synonyms: inflexible, obdurate, adamant mean unwilling to alter a predetermined course or purpose. inflexible implies rigid adherence or even slavish conformity to principle <inflexible in their demands>. obdurate stresses hardness of heart and insensitivity to appeals for mercy or the influence of divine grace <obdurate in his refusal to grant clemency>. adamant implies utter immovability in the face of all temptation or entreaty <adamant that the work should continue>. Synonym: see in addition stiff.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 unbendable. 2 stiff; immovable; obstinate (old and inflexible in his attitudes). 3 unchangeable; inexorable. Derivatives: inflexibility n. inflexibly adv. Etymology: L inflexibilis (as IN-(1), FLEXIBLE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inflexible In*flex"i*ble, a. [L. inflexiblis: cf. F. inflexible. See In- not, and Flexible.] 1. Not capable of being bent; stiff; rigid; firm; unyielding. 2. Firm in will or purpose; not to be turned, changed, or altered; resolute; determined; unyieding; inexorable; stubborn. ``Inflexibleas steel.'' --Miltom. Amanof upright and inflexibletemper . . . can overcome all private fear. --Addison. 3. Incapable of change; unalterable; immutable. The nature of things is inflexible. --I. Watts. Syn: -- Unbending; unyielding; rigid; inexorable; pertinacious; obstinate; stubborn; unrelenting.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Something that is inflexible cannot be altered in any way, even if the situation changes. Workers insisted the new system was too inflexible... = rigid ? flexible ADJ • inflexibility The snag about an endowment mortgage is its inflexibility. 2. If you say that someone is inflexible, you are criticizing them because they refuse to change their mind or alter their way of doing things. His opponents viewed him as stubborn, dogmatic, and inflexible. ? flexible ADJ [disapproval] • inflexibility Joyce was irritated by the inflexibility of her colleagues. N-UNCOUNT: oft with poss

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Stiff, rigid. 2. Pertinacious, dogged, stubborn, obstinate, unyielding, refractory, headstrong, wilful, cantankerous, intractable, heady, obdurate, cross-grained. 3. Firm, resolute, steadfast, immovable, persevering. 4. Inexorable, unyielding, immovable by entreaties.

Moby Thesaurus

adamant, adamantine, at a standstill, cast-iron, certain, changeless, closed to, constant, determinate, determined, dogged, dour, dyed, established, fated, fateful, firm, fixed, flinty, frozen, fundamentalist, grim, hard, hard and fast, hard-core, hard-line, headstrong, hidebound, immobile, immotile, immotive, immovable, immutable, impersuadable, impersuasible, impervious, implacable, impliable, inalterable, indefeasible, indomitable, inductile, inelastic, ineluctable, inescapable, inevasible, inevitable, inexorable, inextensible, inextensile, inextensional, intractable, intractile, intransigent, invariable, invincible, iron, ironbound, ironclad, ironhanded, irreconcilable, irremovable, irresilient, irresistible, irrevocable, loyal, mulish, muscle-bound, necessary, nonelastic, nonstretchable, obdurate, obstinate, orthodox, pat, pigheaded, procrustean, purist, puristic, puritan, puritanic, refractory, relentless, resistless, resolute, resolved, rigid, rigorist, rigoristic, rigorous, rock-ribbed, rockbound, set, settled, severe, single-minded, sot, standpat, stationary, staunch, steadfast, steady, steely, stern, stiff, stony, straightlaced, straitlaced, strict, stubborn, sure, sure as death, sure as fate, true, unaccommodating, unadaptable, unaffected, unalterable, unamenable, unavoidable, unbending, unchangeable, unchanging, uncompliant, uncompromising, unconquerable, uncontrollable, undeflectable, unextendible, unextensible, unflappable, unflexible, ungiving, unimpressionable, uninfluenceable, unlimber, unmalleable, unmodifiable, unmovable, unmoved, unmoving, unpersuadable, unpliable, unpliant, unpreventable, unreceptive, unrelenting, unresponsive, unshakable, unshakeable, unshaken, unstoppable, unsuggestible, unsusceptible, unswayable, unswerving, untractable, unvaried, unvarying, unyielding