flex
verb (used with object)
to bend, as a part of the body.
flex
1 American
[fleks]
/ flɛks /
verb (used with object)
-
flexes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flexed,
past participle, past
-
flexing
present participle
-
to bend, as a part of the body.
He flexed his arms to show off his muscles.
-
to tighten (a muscle) by contraction.
-
to demonstrate (one’s ability, expertise, etc.).
She’s flexed her marketing skills for various clients in the publishing industry.
-
Slang. to boast or brag about; flaunt.
He’s just not into flexing his success.
verb (used without object)
-
flexes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flexed,
past participle, past
-
flexing
present participle
-
to bend.
-
Slang. to boast or brag; show off.
In his rap lyrics he flexes about his fancy lifestyle.
noun
-
flexes
plural
-
the act of flexing.
-
Slang. a boast or brag.
It's not a flex, but we have the best burgers here.
-
British.
-
any flexible, insulated electric cord; an electric cord or extension cord.
-
Slang. an elastic band, as a garter.
-
-
Mathematics. an inflection point.
verb phrase
flex
2
American
[fleks]
/ flɛks /
adjective
flex-
3
American
Also
flexi-.
flex
British
/ flɛks /
noun
-
US and Canadian name: cord. a flexible insulated electric cable, used esp to connect appliances to mains
-
informal flexibility or pliability
verb
-
to bend or be bent
he flexed his arm
his arm flexed
-
to contract (a muscle) or (of a muscle) to contract
-
(intr) to work according to flexitime
-
to test or display (one's authority or strength)
Usage
What else does flex mean? Flex is a slang term meaning "to show off," whether it be your physique, your belongings, or some other thing you consider superior to those of others. The act of flexing is often criticized as a power move, considered arrogant and insincere.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
flexsimple
-
flexessimple
-
have flexedperfect
-
has flexedperfect
-
am flexingprogressive
-
are flexingprogressive
-
is flexingprogressive
-
have been flexingperfect progressive
-
has been flexingperfect progressive
Past
-
flexedsimple
-
had flexedperfect
-
was flexingprogressive
-
were flexingprogressive
-
had been flexingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flex1
First recorded in 1515–25; (adjective) from Latin flexus, past participle of flectere “to bend, turn”; (noun) from Latin flexus act of bending, equivalent to flect(ere) + -tus suffix of verbal action
Origin of flex2
Shortening of flexible
Explanation
When you flex something, you bend or contract it. To appear super tough, you might flex your archery bow while flexing your muscles. Things curve and bend when they flex, whether they're human joints or objects made of a bendable material like plastic or soft wood. Another way to flex is to tense or contract a muscle: "The weightlifter flexes her biceps." Experts suspect that flexible came first, from the Latin root flexibilis, "flexible, pliant, or yielding," and figuratively, "tractable, or easily influenced."
Vocabulary lists containing flex
Strike A Pose: Positions and Posture
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Dance - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
flec, flex
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Both candidates will seek to flex their support in front of massive crowds in key cities as the nail-biting wait to decide the fate of Latin America's largest nation draws to an end.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
Tesla’s demonstration of a levitating Roadster sports car was “an engineering flex with no commercial value beyond embarrassing traditional car makers.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Roadster demo “was an engineering flex with no commercial value beyond embarrassing traditional car makers,” Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, wrote on X.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Following a recent rule change, he adds, lenders are also offering more "flex" on how much someone can borrow as long as it's within their means.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
He began to flex his hand, opening and closing the fingers.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Better day care, plentiful jobs at decent wages, flex- time and job sharing would all help to reduce the stresses on American households, which are overtaxed, overburdened and overwhelmed.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Ramy,” Hulu One of the strongest assets that Ramy Youssef’s Peabody Award-winning comedy flexes is its distinct flavors of New Jersey vibe.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
The spirit of old-school jazz, blues, big band and soul inhabits the record, which stretches out over 71 minutes, as Raye flexes her compositional muscles.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
The beauty of a sheet pan dinner is its elasticity — it flexes up and down depending on what’s in your pantry and how much energy you have left at 6:42 p.m.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2026
Those are serious concerns, but aren’t necessarily relevant when Beijing flexes its financial muscle via credit rather than equity investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Under the rubbery fake toes are layers of black carbon graphite that look nothing like a real foot, but the foot flexes with me and gives some bounce to my step.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
When the researchers deliberately flexed the membrane, they observed stable voltage signals.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
Curry flexed his versatile acting through more than Frank-N-Furter’s showy elevator debut and his vulnerable “I’m Going Home” finale.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Last year, it flexed its economic and diplomatic muscle, responding to Trump with tit-for-tat tariffs and restricting the export of rare earth minerals essential for advanced manufacturing.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
During a pause, the soldiers flexed their wrists and pumped their stretched arms, a penguin-like exercise that locals here do to keep their fingers warm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
The god of the pit flexed his fingers, examining his own polished black talons.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Now that country fans have embraced streaming, the genre is also flexing its muscle on the Hot 100.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Faced with cut-throat competition at home, Chinese firms such as BYD and Chery have been flexing their muscles abroad.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Nvidia is flexing its financial muscle to address AI chip competitors but it comes with risks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
On Friday, the Dodgers pulled ahead by flexing their power-hitting ability — the main hole in the fundamentally sound Brewers’ game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Ms. Connors and Basketball Coach talk serious frown talk arms on hips, biceps flexing.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
