flexible

American  

[flek-suh-buhl] / ˈflɛk sə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being bent, usually without breaking; easily bent.

   a flexible ruler.

   Synonyms:

   supple, elastic, pliable

   Antonyms:

   stiff

2. susceptible of modification or adaptation; adaptable.

   a flexible schedule.

   Synonyms:

   compliant, tractable

   Antonyms:

   rigid

3. willing or disposed to yield; pliable.

   a flexible personality.

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noun

1. a flexible substance or material, as rubber or leather.

flexible British  

/ ˈflɛksɪbəl /

adjective

1. Also: flexile.  able to be bent easily without breaking; pliable

2. adaptable or variable

   flexible working hours

3. able to be persuaded easily; tractable

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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

• hyperflexibleness
  noun
• unflexibly
  adverb
• nonflexibleness
  noun
• flexibly
  adverb
• nonflexible
  adjective
• flexibleness
  noun
• hyperflexible
  adjective
• nonflexibly
  adverb
• unflexible
  adjective
• hyperflexibly
  adverb
• flexibility
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

Venture Global benefited more from flexible and uncontracted cargoes during the shortage, making it likely to give back more gains as gas markets normalize.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

And we triumph over the chaos by staying present, flexible and focused on the tasks at hand, whatever they may be.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

The study concluded that politically diverse management teams were ideologically and cognitively more flexible, which contributed to better investment decision-making.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026

“It was me just getting caught up in this vortex,” said Po, 29, whose flexible schedule as a writer allowed him to devote a weekday afternoon to the quest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

These flexible sheets of cedar also allowed Pocock to do away with the endless nailing of planks to the boat’s ribs.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• malleable
• soft