flexible en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈflek.sɪ.bəl/ (Australia)
- /ˈflɛk.sə.bəl/ (Canada, UK, US)
- /ˈflɛk.sɪ.bəl/ (Canada, UK, US)
- (California) audio
- (Texas) audio
Etymology
From Middle French flexible, from Latin flexibilis, from flectō (“to bend, curve”). Morphologically flex + -ible.
Meanings
-
Capable of being flexed or bent without breaking; able to be turned or twisted without breaking.
When the splitting wind Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks.
c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
-
Willing or prone to give way to the influence of others; not invincibly rigid or obstinate.
Women are soft, mild, pitiful, and flexible.
c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:Phocion the Athenian (a man of great severity, and no ways flexible to the will of the people[…]
1625, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the chapter)”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
-
Capable of adapting or changing to suit new or modified conditions or situations.
You can't always get what you want: you need to learn to be flexible.
-
Capable or being adapted or molded in some way.
a flexible language
This they foresaw was a Principle more flexible to their Purpose
1735, John Rogers, Nineteen Sermons on various occasions:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more flexible | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most flexible | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
firm · stiff · unbendable · brittle · stiff · inflexible · rigid · inelastic · inflexible · rigid
Deriveds
flexisexuality · nonflexible · flexihours · flexible sigmoidoscopy · flexitank · hyperflexible · flexibleness · flexisexual · homoflexible · flexible time · flexivore · ultraflexible · unflexible · flexibilize · flexibly · flexitarian · flexatone · flexibilization · make flexible · heteroflexible · semiflexible · flexecutive · rectiflexible · flexbone
Relateds
supple · obstinate · withy · moldable · foldable · inflexible · soft · pliant · flexibility · pliable
Synonyms
ductile · manageable · bendsome · bendy · obsequious · lithe · supple · tractable · wavering · pliable · bain · tractable · ductile · bendable · flexile · plastic · inconstant · pliant · limp · manageable · pliable · malleable · limber · flexible
Translations (140)
km អាចបត់បែនបាន (easy and compliant) · de flexibel (easily bent without breaking) · vi co giãn (easily bent without breaking) · ko 유연한 (easily bent without breaking) · gl flexible (easily bent without breaking) · tr esnek (easily bent without breaking) · no fleksibel (easily bent without breaking) · de fügsam (easy and compliant) · grc καμπτός (easily bent without breaking) · km អាចបត់បែនបាន (easily bent without breaking) · vi linh động (easy and compliant) · is sveigjanlegur (easily bent without breaking) · da fleksibel (easily bent without breaking) · pt flexível (capable or being adapted or molded) · uk гну́чий (easily bent without breaking) · tr esnek (easy and compliant) · hu hajlékony (easily bent without breaking) · izh nodra (easily bent without breaking) · pl elastyczny (capable or being adapted or molded) · cs ohebný (easily bent without breaking) · el εύκαμπτος (easily bent without breaking) · ja 柔軟な (easily bent without breaking) · ga solúbtha (easy and compliant) · ru ги́бкий (capable or being adapted or molded) · sv flexibel (easily bent without breaking) · vi linh hoạt (easy and compliant) · ca flexible (easily bent without breaking) · ru покла́дистый (easy and compliant) · gl flexíbel (capable or being adapted or molded) · it flessibile (capable or being adapted or molded) · th ยืดหยุ่น (easily bent without breaking) · fr flexible (capable or being adapted or molded) · eo fleksebla (easy and compliant) · nl flexibel (capable or being adapted or molded) · sq përthyeshëm (easily bent without breaking) · he גמיש (easily bent without breaking) · hy ճկուն (capable or being adapted or molded) · sv böjlig (easily bent without breaking) · pl giętki (easily bent without breaking) · or ନମନୀୟ (easy and compliant) · eo fleksiĝema (easily bent without breaking) · hy ճկուն (easily bent without breaking) · hu alkalmazkodó (easy and compliant) · mi kōngohe (capable or being adapted or molded) · mi ngāwari (easy and compliant) · fi notkea (easily bent without breaking) · tl hutukin (easily bent without breaking) · la flexibilis (easily bent without breaking) · fi joustava (capable or being adapted or molded) · gd lùbach (easily bent without breaking) · tr fleksibl (easy and compliant) · eo fleksebla (bendable) (easily bent without breaking) · be рахма́ны (easy and compliant) · es flexible (capable or being adapted or molded) · uk покла́дливий (easy and compliant) · grc εὐκαμπής (easily bent without breaking) · eo elasta (deformable) (easily bent without breaking) · izh notkia (easily bent without breaking) · it flessibile (easily bent without breaking) · pl elastyczny (easy and compliant) · fi joustava (easily bent without breaking) · de nachgiebig (easy and compliant) · uk ла́гідний (easy and compliant) · fr flexible (easy and compliant) · nl buigzaam (easily bent without breaking) · mi moruki (easily bent without breaking) · vi linh hoạt (capable or being adapted or molded) · la flexibilis (easy and compliant) · gl flexíbel (easily bent without breaking) · th ยืดหยุ่น (capable or being adapted or molded) · bg гъвкав (easily bent without breaking) · de elastisch (easily bent without breaking) · la flexilis (easily bent without breaking) · de elastisch (easy and compliant) · da føjelig (easy and compliant) · de dehnbar (easily bent without breaking) · tr elastiki (easily bent without breaking) · ga aclaí (easy and compliant) · tr bükülgen (capable or being adapted or molded) · ru пода́тливый (easy and compliant) · gv so-lhoobey (easily bent without breaking) · ka მოქნილი (easily bent without breaking) · be гі́бкі (easily bent without breaking) · ka დრეკადი (easily bent without breaking) · el ευέλικτος (easy and compliant) · fr maléable (capable or being adapted or molded) · de weich (capable or being adapted or molded) · uk гнучки́й (easily bent without breaking) · fi taipuisa (easily bent without breaking) · ro flexibil (easily bent without breaking) · pl gibki (easily bent without breaking) · ast flexible (easily bent without breaking) · et paindlik (easily bent without breaking) · ru ги́бкий (easily bent without breaking) · vi co dãn (easily bent without breaking) · pl elastyczny (easily bent without breaking) · da fleksibel (easy and compliant) · pt flexível (easy and compliant) · nl flexibel (easy and compliant) · ca flexible (easy and compliant) · bg приспособяващ се (capable or being adapted or molded) · hu rugalmas (capable or being adapted or molded) · tr bükülgen (easily bent without breaking) · de dehnbar (capable or being adapted or molded) · chr ᏩᏂᎨ (easily bent without breaking) · ga aclaí (easily bent without breaking) · gv so-lhoobey (easy and compliant) · ga solúbtha (easily bent without breaking) · es doblegable (easily bent without breaking) · pt flexível (easily bent without breaking) · is sveigjanlegur (capable or being adapted or molded) · az yapığan (easily bent without breaking) · fi taipuva (easily bent without breaking) · gl flexíbel (easy and compliant) · fi joustava (easy and compliant) · be гну́ткі (easily bent without breaking) · az əyilgən (easily bent without breaking) · uk посту́пливий (easy and compliant) · hi लचीला (easily bent without breaking) · fi kimmoisa (easily bent without breaking) · it flessibile (easy and compliant) · hy զիջող (easy and compliant) · ca flexible (capable or being adapted or molded) · it pieghevole (easily bent without breaking) · ar مَرِن (easy and compliant) · es flexible (easily bent without breaking) · fr flexible (easily bent without breaking) · es flexible (easy and compliant) · bg податлив (easy and compliant) · oc flexible (easily bent without breaking) · mi pīngore (easily bent without breaking) · pl rozciągliwy (easily bent without breaking) · de flexibel (capable or being adapted or molded) · de flexibel (easy and compliant) · cmn 靈活 /灵活 (easily bent without breaking) · is sveigjanlegur (easy and compliant) · ka დამყოლი (easy and compliant) · da smidig (easily bent without breaking) · be пада́тлівы (easy and compliant) · de biegsam (easily bent without breaking)