Jäykkö

Jäykkä is a Finnish adjective meaning stiff, rigid, or firm. It is used to describe physical stiffness in muscles, joints, or objects, and it can also describe inflexibility or obstinacy in opinions or behavior. The term is common in everyday language and is neutral in tone, though it can carry a mildly negative nuance when referring to a person’s attitude.

In usage, jäykkä appears in phrases such as jäykkä lihas (a stiff muscle), jäykkä nivel (a stiff joint), or jäykkä asenne (a rigid attitude). The adverbial form is jäykästi, and the related noun for the condition is jäykkyys, meaning stiffness. Like many Finnish adjectives, jäykkä forms comparative and superlative degrees (for example, jäykempi), to express more or most stiffness.

Etymology and related forms: the word jäykkä is native Finnish and is connected to verbs meaning to stiffen, such as jäykistyä and jäykistää. Related nouns include jäykkyys (stiffness), and related adjectives share the same root. The term can describe both literal stiffness in physical objects and the figurative sense of inflexibility in people or policies.

See also: jäykkyys, jäykistyä, jäykistää.