僵 (jiāng) - Stiff, rigid & numb

僵Tone 1

jiāng ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

僵 · jiāng

Stiff, rigid;

numb;

deadlock, stalemate;

to stiffen;

to become rigid or inflexible.

Stiff, rigidnumbdeadlock, stalemate

Usage highlights

Stiff corpseDeadlockStiff and numbBecome rigidStiffenFrozen with fear

Synonyms

  • 硬— hard, stiff
  • 直— straight, rigid
  • 板— stiff, wooden

Antonyms

  • 软— soft, flexible
  • 活— alive, lively, flexible
  • 柔— soft, gentle, pliable

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My neck is stiff (脖子僵了).
  • The negotiations reached a deadlock (谈判陷入僵局).
  • He stood frozen with fear (他吓得僵住了).
  • A rigid corpse(僵尸)

Collocations

  • Stiff corpse(僵尸)
  • Deadlock(僵局)
  • Stiff and numb(僵直)
  • Become rigid(僵化)
  • Stiffen(僵硬)
  • Frozen with fear(僵立)

Idioms

  • Fight to a stalemate(僵持不下)
  • Become rigid and inflexible(僵化保守)
  • A battle of attrition(僵持战)
  • Frozen in a stalemate(陷入僵局)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Associated with the Jiangshi (僵尸), a reanimated corpse in Chinese folklore that moves by hopping with arms outstretched.
  • Often used metaphorically to describe bureaucratic or ideological inflexibility (僵化).
  • In martial arts and combat contexts, describes a state of being physically locked or unable to move.

FAQ