pliable
PLY-uh-bul
/ˈplaɪəbl̩/
Easily bent or flexed; easily influenced, persuaded, or controlled by others.
Implies soft physical yielding or impressionable mental character; often carries a slight note of weakness or gullibility when applied to people.
The story behind the word. From French 'pliable', from 'plier' (to bend), originating from Latin 'plicare' (to fold). In Medieval English craftwork, pliable referred to tanned hides or young saplings that could be woven or folded without breaking.
Word relationships
- malleable: Malleable usually implies hammering or crushing metal into new shapes, whereas pliable implies smooth bending or folding.
- supple: Supple focuses on graceful agility and softness, whereas pliable often carries a critique of being easily manipulated.
- rigid: Rigid describes an unbending physical structure or uncompromising attitude.
- obstinate: Obstinate describes stubborn refusal to change one's mind despite arguments.
Commonly confused with
- pliant: Pliable and pliant are near-perfect synonyms, but 'pliant' is more frequent in high literary poetry.
Word family
- pliability (noun): The quality of being easily bent or influenced.
Collocations
- pliable material
- pliable nature
- pliable leather
- easily pliable
Idioms & expressions
- wax in someone's hands
- bend like a reed
Example sentences
- "The whalebone was pliable in the hands of the artisan, bending easily without fracture." Classic 19th-century maritime literature
- "Corrupt lobbyists targeted pliable freshmen lawmakers who lacked strong ideological convictions." Political analysis commentary
Memory hook
PLIable: PLIers are used to bend PLIable wires. Folds and bends easily under pressure.
When not to use
Do not use to compliment someone's strong bounce-back resilience; pliability means bending without pushing back.
Fun facts
- The root 'plicare' is hidden in dozens of English words including 'complicate' (folded together) and 'duplicate' (folded twice).
Explore more words
malleable, ductile, docile, flexibility, gullible, submissive
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