kireämmäksi

Kireämmäksi is a Finnish word-form that functions as the comparative degree of the adjective kireä, used to express a change into a state that is more tense, strict, or tightly held. In everyday usage, kireä can describe physical tightness, emotional tension, or a sharp, pressing atmosphere. Kireämmäksi, therefore, conveys “becoming more tense/tenser” or “becoming more strict.” The sense depends on context.

Morphology and usage notes: The form kireämmäksi is built from the stem of kireä with the comparative suffix -mmäksi, which is used to describe a transition into a new degree or state. It is commonly found with verbs that denote change, such as muuttua (to become) or tulla (to come to be), e.g., tilanne muuttui kireämmäksi (the situation became tenser). It can also occur with transitive constructions that express making something more [adjective], though the most natural use is predicative, describing a shift in state rather than a direct action on an object.

Common contexts:

- Describing atmospheres or moods growing tenser or more strained

- Indicating increased strictness or firmness in rules, conditions, or behavior

- Comparing degrees of tightness or rigidity in physical or metaphorical senses

Examples:

- Tilanne muuttui kireämmäksi. (The situation became tenser.)

- Ääni muuttui kireämmäksi, kun päätöksiä piti tehdä. (The voice grew stricter/tenser as decisions had to be made.)

- Heidän käytöksensä tuli kireämmäksi ilmeisesti paineen kasvaessa. (Their behavior grew more tense as the pressure increased.)

See also: Finnish adjectives and comparative forms, the suffix -mmaksi for transforming into a state, and the general use of kireä in meaning of tension or tightness.