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
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Dance - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
"This is not a show of force. We are not going to flex our muscles," he said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 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
Compare that to the mainland, where the robot waiter reaches me the way it’s built to: a viral clip and a “look how advanced we are” flex.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Ahmed Kathrada was then barely twenty-one and, like all youth, eager to flex his muscles.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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
Hinojosa, who is bilingual, flexes her Spanglish easily on the stump, telling voters that the most important lesson she ever got came from her mother was the scolding, “No te dejes.”
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
Cary Beth Cryor has five pictures of herself giving birth; “Marty,” a young black boy wearing oversize sunglasses, flexes a muscle in Gioncarlo Valentine’s 2023 color picture of him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
“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
And then he flexes his fingers and shrugs matter-of-factly.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
But after City flexed its legal might in a drawn-out appeals process that landed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the club was cleared and reinstated in European competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
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
Of the new contract, the NHS spokesperson said its value had been calculated based on the rate of new claims received - and could "be flexed" if that changes.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
The god of the pit flexed his fingers, examining his own polished black talons.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Sexton was at his best in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 21 points, flexing and pounding his chest after a made basket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
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
Even after Benn had left, Garcia remained on stage - flexing, shouting and playing to the crowd.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Nvidia is flexing its financial muscle to address AI chip competitors but it comes with risks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
The logo was a cartoon of this giant bodybuilding bulldog wearing wraparound sunglasses and smoking a cigar and flexing his muscles.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
