flexible
American
adjective
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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
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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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.
Elastic cartilage is soft and flexible and helps form structures such as the outer ear.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The firm could seek capital from other investors to back its growing U.S. gas business and would remain flexible in how long it owns the assets, Richyal added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
There are also "snowplough parents", who try to remove obstacles from their child's path, and "dolphin parents", who aim to be firm but flexible.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
That includes flexible class offerings, basic needs assistance, robust counseling and the use of data to understand where students are falling through the cracks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Cluny’s baleful eye watched them as his long flexible tail sorted through the paltry offerings which had dropped from their claws.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
