supple

[ suhp-uhl ]

/ ˈsʌp əl /

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See synonyms for: supple / suppleness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, sup·pler, sup·plest.

bending readily without breaking or becoming deformed; pliant; flexible: a supple bough.

characterized by ease in bending; limber; lithe: supple movements.

characterized by ease, responsiveness, and adaptability in mental action.

compliant or yielding.

obsequious; servile.

verb (used with or without object), sup·pled, sup·pling.

to make or become supple.

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Origin of supple

1250–1300; (adj.) Middle English souple flexible, compliant <Old French: soft, yielding, lithe <Latin supplic- (stem of supplex) submissive, suppliant, equivalent to sup-sup- + -plic-, variously explained as akin to plicāre to fold¹, bend (thus meaning “bent over”; cf. complex), or to plācāre to placate¹ (thus meaning “in the attitude of a suppliant”); (v.) Middle English supplen to soften, derivative of the noun (compare Old French asoplir)

OTHER WORDS FROM supple

sup·ple·ness, nounun·sup·ple, adjectiveun·sup·ple·ness, nounun·sup·p·ly, adverb

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

How to use supple in a sentence

The cabin is whisper quiet, and the standard faux-leather trim is just as supple as the real thing.
Top rides for 2021|Joe Phillips|January 15, 2021|Washington Blade
We made it soft and supple so that it conforms to your body—not the other way around.
The period-care startup nixing the stigmas and taboos around menstruation|Rachel King|January 10, 2021|Fortune
Each of these eight supple yet powerful limbs can explore the seafloor in search of prey, snatching crabs from hiding spots without direction from the octopus’ brain.
How octopuses ‘taste’ things by touching|Jonathan Lambert|October 29, 2020|Science News
They fit a million times better than those hardware-store statement pieces, while also allowing for supple articulation.
The Gear We Relied On for Our 2020 Ski Test|Marc Peruzzi|October 15, 2020|Outside Online

If we want a society that’s supple enough to respond to the voices of its people, we need to keep a close eye on how these technologies are deployed in the future.
Will Facial Recognition and Digital Surveillance End Anonymous Protest?|Jason Dorrier|June 7, 2020|Singularity Hub
I do not have the suppleness of 20 but I have something much more important… And you see that when you see the show.
Philippe Petit’s Moment of Concern Walking the WTC Tightrope|Anthony Haden-Guest|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to Clark, the “hypertrophic forms of masculinity” then prevalent favored “unyielding forcefulness” over “suppleness.”
The Utterly Pointless First World War|Michael F. Bishop|May 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Springing up with the suppleness and rapidity of the wild beast, she leaped to break her head against the wall.
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
The suppleness of the skin in the folds gives the rhinoceros the power of moving his head, neck, and limbs, with facility.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
First of all, then, we have to note the suppleness and equality of Chopin's fingers and the perfect independence of his hands.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks
I had noted her strength and suppleness of limb the very first day I had seen her; and she gave marvellous proof of it now.
A Heroine of France|Evelyn Everett-Green
The weapon demands great suppleness of body, a wonderful rapidity of movement, and extreme quickness.
The Flying Horseman|Gustave Aimard

British Dictionary definitions for supple

supple

/ (ˈsʌpəl) /

adjective

bending easily without damage

capable of or showing easy or graceful movement; lithe

mentally flexible; responding readily

disposed to agree, sometimes to the point of servility

verb

rare to make or become supple

Derived forms of supple

suppleness, noun

Word Origin for supple

C13: from Old French souple, from Latin supplex bowed

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

supple

Origin of supple

OTHER WORDS FROM supple

Words related to supple

How to use supple in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for supple

Derived forms of supple

Word Origin for supple