flexible
Americanadjective
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Also: flexile. able to be bent easily without breaking; pliable
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adaptable or variable
flexible working hours
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able to be persuaded easily; tractable
Synonym Usage
Flexible, limber, pliant refer to that which bends easily. Flexible refers to that which is capable of being bent and adds sometimes the idea of compressibility or expansibility: a flexible piece of rubber hose. Limber is especially applied to the body to refer to ease of movement; it resembles flexible except that there is an idea of even greater ease in bending: a limber dancer. Pliant stresses an inherent quality or tendency to bend that does not require force or pressure from the outside; it may mean merely adaptable or may have a derogatory sense: a pliant character.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of flexible
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin flexibilis “pliant, easily bent”; see flex 1, -ible
Explanation
Something that is flexible is easily bent without breaking. The flexible drinking straw was invented in the 1930s by a man who saw his daughter struggling to drink a milkshake with a straight paper straw. The word flexible can refer to bendable physical objects or to intangibles like a person's mind, which can be changed. It can even refer to work environments that can adapt schedules and benefits to fit a worker's individual needs. Being physically flexible usually means good health, with no pain in movement. In all, it's great to be flexible, to be able to bend without breaking and bounce back, ready to keep going.
Vocabulary lists containing flexible
Nothing But the Truth
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"Mindsets in the Classroom"
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flec, flex
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Educated people are more flexible, so education is key for us and our kids.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Rae says: "I booked the Monday off a while ago. I work in a garage and we're open as normal, so I probably wouldn't get away with flexible working."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
"We are advocating that we take another close look at this, asking how we can design it so that it becomes more flexible," he told journalists late Monday.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Plan ahead, stay flexible and remember that some of the best memories happen outside the matches.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
This is where the library’s new arrivals are put on display, the freshly laminated hardcovers facing out; they stand tall on their top shelves, their pages crisp and unread, their bindings flexible yet strong.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
