starr
rigid
Immobile, stiff, and not flexible.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Sitzen fühlten sich seine Glieder ganz starr an.
After sitting for so long, his limbs felt completely rigid.
starr
rigid / fixed
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Meanings
starr
fixed
Focused on one point and without movement, especially of eyes or a gaze.
EXAMPLE
Er blickte mit starren Augen auf die Unfallstelle.
He looked at the accident scene with fixed eyes.
starr
rigid
In a figurative sense: inflexible, dogmatic, and holding on to fixed rules or opinions.
EXAMPLE
Seine starre Haltung in der Verhandlung machte eine Einigung unmöglich.
His rigid position in the negotiation made an agreement impossible.
starr
stiff
Stiff and numb because of cold.
EXAMPLE
Ohne Handschuhe waren meine Finger bald starr vor Kälte.
Without gloves, my fingers soon became stiff from the cold.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'starr' (rigid/fixed) is closely related to the verb 'erstarren' (to freeze/stiffen). 'Erstarren' means to become stiff or immobile, which explains the basic meaning of 'starr' very well.
EXAMPLE
Als er die schreckliche Nachricht hörte, erstarrte er.
When he heard the terrible news, he froze.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'fixiert' (fixed), 'starr' is very often combined with verbs of seeing. Typical phrases are 'starr blicken' (to stare fixedly), 'starr schauen' (to stare fixedly), or 'jemanden starr ansehen' (to stare fixedly at someone).
EXAMPLE
Die Katze schaute starr auf den Vogel im Baum.
The cat stared fixedly at the bird in the tree.
Sentence structure with 'vor'
To express the cause of the stiffness, the preposition 'vor' with the dative is often used. The most common combinations are 'starr vor Kälte' (stiff from cold) and 'starr vor Schreck' (frozen with fright).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sturz ins kalte Wasser war er starr vor Kälte.
After falling into the cold water, he was stiff from the cold.
Context clue
You can recognize the figurative meaning by the fact that 'starr' does not refer to a body or body part, but to abstract concepts. Examples are 'starre Regeln' (rigid rules), 'ein starrer Plan' (a rigid plan), or 'eine starre Meinung' (a rigid opinion).
EXAMPLE
Das Unternehmen leidet unter seinen starren Hierarchien.
The company suffers from its rigid hierarchies.
Compare with
starr vs festgelegt
fixed / determined
For a procedure, festgelegt means that its rules have been bindingly determined. Starr evaluates the same procedure as inflexible and emphasizes that it can hardly be adapted to new situations. A festgelegter procedure is therefore not necessarily starr.
starr
Der Ablauf der Prüfung ist so starr, dass keine Pause verschoben werden kann.
The exam procedure is so rigid that no break can be rescheduled.
festgelegt
Der Ablauf der Prüfung ist verbindlich festgelegt.
The exam procedure is bindingly fixed.
In real life
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