凝り固まる

• Reading: こりかたまる
• Romaji: korikatamaru
• Kanji breakdown: 凝 (gyō/ko) — to concentrate, stiffen; 固 (ko/kata) — hard, to solidify
• Pronunciation: /ko.ɾi.ka.ta.ma.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be rigidly set in one's ways; to become inflexibly fixed in beliefs; to stiffen physically through tension.

A Group 1 (godan) compound verb (凝る + 固まる). Physically: muscles or joints that 凝り固まる have seized up with tension or cold. Figuratively — and more commonly in N1 contexts — it describes a person or institution that has become unyieldingly rigid in their thinking or habits, often with a critical tone: 固定観念に凝り固まる (to be rigidly fixed in a mindset), 保守思想に凝り固まる (to be entrenched in conservative ideology).

Examples

1. 長年の偏見に凝り固まった考え方はなかなか変えられない。 A mindset rigidly set by years of prejudice is hard to change.
2. 肩と首の筋肉が凝り固まって、頭が痛くなってきた。 The muscles in my shoulders and neck had stiffened up, giving me a headache.
3. 自説に凝り固まった人は、新しい証拠を受け入れようとしない。 People who are stubbornly fixed in their own views refuse to accept new evidence.

Usage Guide

Context: mindset, physical stiffness, criticism, ideology

Tone: critical

Origin & History

Compound of 凝る (to stiffen through concentration or cold) and 固まる (to harden, solidify). The combination intensifies the sense of rigid hardening, whether physical or ideological.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal