supple
/'sʌpl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Flexible and bending easily: Describes something that can move or bend freely without breaking or becoming damaged.
- Adaptable and responsive: Describes a person's mind, character, or imagination that can adjust readily to new ideas or situations.
- Graceful and agile: Describes movement that is smooth, lithe, and effortless.
Verb:
- To make flexible or pliant: The action of treating something to make it softer and easier to bend.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- The dancer has a supple body, capable of incredible movements.
- A good leader needs a supple mind to handle complex problems.
- The leather of the new gloves is very supple and comfortable.
Verb:
- The craftsman suppled the leather by working oil into it.
- Frequent use will supple the stiff new boots.
Advanced Usage
"Supple as a willow": A simile describing great flexibility.
- The gymnast was as supple as a willow, bending into impossible shapes.
"Supple to one's will": (Archaic/Literary) Describes someone who is obedient or yielding to another's commands.
- The courtier was supple to the king's every wish.
Variants and Related Words
Suppleness (n): The quality of being supple.
- Yoga improves the suppleness of the spine.
Supplely (adv): In a supple manner.
- The cat moved supplely through the narrow gap.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Flexible, pliant, lithe, limber, adaptable, agile.
- Verb: Soften, make pliable, make flexible.
Antonyms
- Adjective: Stiff, rigid, inflexible, unyielding.
Related Phrases
"Keep one's mind supple": To maintain mental flexibility and openness to learning.
- Reading widely helps to keep your mind supple.
"Supple leather": A common phrase describing high-quality, soft, and flexible leather.
Adjective
- (used of persons' bodies) capable of moving or bending freely
- (used of e.g. personality traits) readily adaptable
- a supple mind
- a limber imagination
- moving and bending with ease
Verb
- make pliant and flexible
- These boots are not yet suppled by frequent use