What does supple mean?
Supple means Pliant, flexible, easy to bend..
Supple
/ˈsʌpəl/ · adjective
Meaning
Pliant, flexible, easy to bend..
Definitions by Sense
- Pliant, flexible, easy to bend.
- Lithe and agile when moving and bending.
- (figuratively) Compliant; yielding to the will of others.
- (wine) Smooth and drinkable.
- (ambitransitive) To make or become supple.
- (transitive) To make compliant, submissive, or obedient.
Example Sentences
Global supply chains, meanwhile, have grown both tighter and more supple since the late 1990s—the result of improving information technology and of freer trade—making routine work easier to relocate.
supple joints
supple fingers
My hands are supple and small. A woman in a bread shop once said to me: “You have the hands for making fine little pastries.”
a supple horse
If punishment […] makes not the will supple, it hardens the offender.
The flesh therewith she suppled and did steepe
The Stones (a Miracle to Mortal View, / But long Tradition makes it paſs for true) / Did firſt the Rigour of their Kind expel, / And ſuppled into ſoftneſs, as they fell; […]
Synonyms for supple
Antonyms for supple
Related Words
Word Forms
- suppler
- supplest
- supples
- suppling
- suppled
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
Practice and Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for supple?
Common synonyms include lithe, svelte, slender, lissom.
What is the opposite of supple?
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
How do you use supple in a sentence?
Global supply chains, meanwhile, have grown both tighter and more supple since the late 1990s—the result of improving information technology and of freer trade—making routine work easier to relocate.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.