01
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
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 04
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 flexibel
flexible
'flexibel' and 'starr' are often opposites. 'flexibel' fits when something is bendable or when someone reacts well to new situations. 'starr', on the other hand, means that something is immobile, or that someone holds on to fixed rules and opinions. Learners may confuse the words because both can be used for things and for behavior. Remember: 'flexibel' opens up possibilities; 'starr' allows hardly any change.
starr
Bei der Arbeit hält er starr an seinem alten Plan fest.
At work, he rigidly sticks to his old plan.
flexibel
Nach der Arbeit bin ich flexibel und kann auch später zum Training kommen.
After work, I'm flexible and can also come to training later.
In real life
Loading video examples...