pliant

[ plahy-uhnt ]

See synonyms for: pliant pliancy pliantness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

bending readily; flexible; supple; adaptable: She manipulated the pliant clay.
easily influenced; yielding to others; compliant: He has a pliant nature.

Origin of pliant

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, present participle of the verbplier ply²; see -ant

synonym study For pliant

1, 2. See flexible.

Other words for pliant

1, 2	pliable, flexile
2	manageable, tractable, docile

See synonyms for pliant on Thesaurus.com

Other words from pliant

pli·an·cy, pli·ant·ness, noun
pli·ant·ly, adverb
non·pli·an·cy, noun
non·pli·ant, adjective
non·pli·ant·ly, adverb
non·pli·ant·ness, noun
un·pli·an·cy, noun
un·pli·ant, adjective
un·pli·ant·ly, adverb
un·pli·ant·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pliant in a sentence

Savoy’s pliant leaves make it a great choice for rolling and stuffing.
Cabbage is always there for you. Here’s how to give it the respect it deserves. | Aaron Hutcherson | February 19, 2021 | Washington Post
Each persimmon must be peeled, tied, hung, and gently massaged every day for four to six weeks, until they reach the perfect level of dried-yet-pliant texture and darkly sweet, warm spice-y flavor.
The Art of Hoshigaki at Home | Jamie Feldmar | January 7, 2021 | Eater
Is it a trifle that we temper energy with softness, strength with flexibility, capaciousness of sound with pliancy of idiom?
Spare Hours | John Brown
Hating her, he put his arms about her, and when her body suddenly relaxed he resented its unexpected pliancy.
Narcissus | Evelyn Scott
His nature, however, did not display the gentle pliancy of Mendelssohn's.
History of the Jews, Vol. V (of 6) | Heinrich Graetz

There is a pliancy and a brilliancy about him which make him one of the most delightful companions.
The Life of Mrs. Humphry Ward | Janet Penrose Trevelyan
At the same time, her motions were not awkward; she managed her rectilinear body with a surprising ease and pliancy.
An Ambitious Woman | Edgar Fawcett

British Dictionary definitions for pliant

pliant

/ (ˈplaɪənt) /

adjective

easily bent; supple: a pliant young tree
easily modified; adaptable; flexible: a pliant system

yielding readily to influence; compliant

Origin of pliant

C14: from Old French, from plier to fold, bend; see ply ²

Derived forms of pliant

pliancy or pliantness, noun
pliantly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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