Jyrkistä

Jyrkistä is a Finnish verb that means to cause something to become steeper or to intensify, worsen, or become more severe. In a physical or geographic sense it is used when the slope or incline is made steeper, for example in construction, land management, or geotechnical contexts. In a figurative sense it describes conditions or trends that become sharper or more severe, such as prices, restrictions, or a crisis.

The verb is the causative form of jyrkkä, meaning steep. It is used transitively to indicate that the subject makes something steeper or more drastic. In addition to the active use, Finnish can describe a situation that jyrkistyy or jyrkistyä, meaning it steepens or becomes steeper on its own. Common non-finite forms include jyrkistäminen (the act of steepening) and jyrkistetty (steepened, as an adjective or participle).

Typical contexts for jyrkistä include engineering and geology, where ramp angles, slopes, or embankments are altered to be steeper. It also appears in economics, politics, or everyday language to describe rapid changes, for example when market prices or conditions jyrkkistyivät quickly.

See also related terms such as jyrkistyminen (the process or result of becoming steeper) and jyrkistäminen (the act of steepening). The word shares the root jyrkkä, meaning steep, and is part of Finnish verb families that express causation or change in state.