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
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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.
Other characteristics likely improved their chances, including relatively small body sizes, the ability to live partly in water, flexible diets, and modest energy requirements.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
“The recent strength in benefits likely indicates that employers were looking for somewhat more flexible and less costly ways to reward strong performance,” wrote Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
"The ECB has equipped itself with increasingly flexible tools," Frederik Ducrozet, head of strategy and macroeconomic research at Pictet Wealth Management, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
After having children, she decided to seek something "more flexible" than her daily commute from Colchester to Canary Wharf, and pivoted to voiceover work in 2019.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
He was swinging upside down off the starboard rail, using his massive strength and his flexible feet to hang on while he untangled some broken oars.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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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.
