adjective

• 1Capable of bending easily without breaking.

  ‘flexible rubber seals’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Do this when the branches are about 6in long and flexible enough to bend at right angles.’
  • ‘This means that flexible pipe can be bent to a much smaller radius of curvature than rigid pipe without exceeding its elastic limit.’
  • ‘The body of a sea-lion is so flexible that it can bend over backwards and just about touch its nose to the tips of its back flippers.’
  • ‘The flexible rubber sole is unrestricting, enabling great movement of the entire foot.’
  • ‘A flexible rubber matrix forms when a small amount of diene is added to the mix.’
  • ‘The gray matter you see cradling the iPod above is some type of flexible rubber stuff.’
  • ‘Soft hydrophilic contact lenses, made of flexible plastic are larger and cover the entire cornea.’
  • ‘Thankfully an eardrum is a flexible tissue stretched taut over the inner ear.’
  • ‘Those who come to Yoga learn ways to breathe, stretch and become more flexible.’
  • ‘The frame should be rigid, not flexible and the springing as firm as a mattress.’
  • ‘The answer may be in making them slightly flexible, so that gently bending them makes them work.’
  • ‘Both aerobic and strength training can actually make you less flexible if you don't add stretching exercises.’
  • ‘The highly flexible, strong tubing was developed specifically for medical device applications.’
  • ‘Catheters are thin flexible tubes which are inserted into the bladder to allow urine to be passed.’
  • ‘A catheter (a thin flexible tube) is then inserted through the urethra into the bladder.’
  • ‘He may have several thin flexible tubes put into him.’
  • ‘A flexible bronchoscope was used to locate choke points.’
  • ‘A moment later, he had exposed four wires and a flexible pneumatic conduit.’
  • ‘The radiator was fitted and the fan wires will be run through the plastic flexible conduit.’
  • ‘Your balancing reflexes can't kick in unless your leg muscles are strong enough and your joints flexible enough to respond.’

  Synonyms

  pliable, supple, easily bent, bendable, pliant, malleable, mouldable, stretchable, workable, limber, ductile, tensile, plastic

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Able to be easily modified to respond to altered circumstances.
     ‘small businesses which are dependent on flexible working hours’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The report argued that management practices should be more flexible to allow laboratories to be more responsive to market forces.’
     • ‘I think the notions of international comity are sufficiently flexible to allow a development in that direction.’
     • ‘The waitresses said another reason they are happy at Hooters is that their work schedules are very flexible.’
     • ‘The hospice's very flexible approach to providing care and support to the entire family is working well.’
     • ‘In the meantime, I'm trying to keep the organization as flexible as possible.’
     • ‘The basins will be moveable depending on light and weather to keep the space as flexible as possible.’
     • ‘The airline has a fairly flexible approach to the extra weight of diving gear.’
     • ‘Because we kept our schedule flexible, we were able to return to the plaza again and again.’
     • ‘HP also says that businesses have to be flexible to adapt to change.’
     • ‘And then, at that time, your life becomes flexible.’
     • ‘The plans should remain flexible to accommodate changes in patients' needs and circumstances.’
     • ‘What youngsters needed, Shirai decided, was a school that would be flexible enough to meet their changing needs.’
     • ‘Therefore, the most successful programs were those that were attuned to the future and flexible enough to respond quickly.’
     • ‘The basic game system is flexible enough to permit many variations.’
     • ‘To stay flexible, I recommend keeping the investment in the parents' name.’
     • ‘But for a company as big as Microsoft, staying flexible is anything but simple.’
     • ‘But such measures are expensive, and don't seem flexible enough to deal with the problem.’
     • ‘In short the party of change must now show itself flexible enough to change its own central strategy.’
     • ‘However not all the papers were flexible enough to incorporate additional commentary into their coverage.’
     • ‘While not flexible enough to adjust for all situations, the quiz is a useful gauge.’
     Synonyms

     adaptable, adjustable, open-ended, open, open to change, changeable, variable, fluid, versatile

     View synonyms
  2. 1.2(of a person) ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances.
     ‘you can save money if you're flexible about where your room is located’
     More example sentences

     • ‘He was flexible in changing his plans and beginning to teach a crowd which had gathered.’
     • ‘This is not a big team like some of our competitors, but we are flexible, we can change direction and we take decisions quickly.’
     • ‘They are flexible, hard working, extremely adaptable and always happy to help each other.’
     • ‘Fourthly, if people are flexible about when they travel we could actually see more people working in Central London not fewer.’
     • ‘By contrast, the people Haus namechecks are far more flexible actors.’
     • ‘Mourinho is a flexible man with a flexible team, who can change styles of play to suite each individual match scenario.’
     • ‘‘He has always treated me as an equal, and he is also a very flexible guy,’ she says.’
     • ‘Eddie votes to have votes, but he is very flexible I will tell you that.’
     • ‘She is flexible, she works well with kids, and she can communicate with her peers.’
     • ‘If only they were that flexible when it came to paying for the goods.’
     • ‘The actors were incredibly flexible, even though they were dealing with a deep well of emotional trauma.’
     • ‘Mind you, we're very flexible with the options that may be put to us in a commercial sense or residential sense.’
     • ‘There is no restaurant, but breakfast is served on the roof terrace, and the friendly staff are flexible about when you have it.’
     • ‘If you are not flexible enough to mix with any culture then you will not succeed, nor will you if you are not professional.’
     • ‘We must remain flexible enough to deal with surprise.’
     • ‘Most skippers are flexible enough to allow the customers as much involvement as they wish.’
     • ‘You've grown quite a bit and become rather flexible in the past month.’
     • ‘The best teachers are creative and flexible in their thinking.’
     • ‘You need to keep your feet steady on the ground, yet remain flexible to bend with the storms.’
     • ‘Be flexible and elastic about plans and ideas and avoid emotional or ego conflicts.’
     Synonyms

     accommodating, adaptable, amenable, biddable, willing to compromise, cooperative, tolerant, forgiving, long-suffering, easy-going

     View synonyms