adj
supple
SUH-puhl
adj
1
Bending easily; flexible.
"Stretching daily keeps her muscles supple."
"The leather softened into a supple, worn-in jacket."
2
Moving with easy, graceful flexibility.
"The gymnast's supple movements amazed the crowd."
How to Use Supple
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEasily bendable or flexible, whether describing a body, material, or movement.
Common pairings
supple leather
supple joints
stay supple
Word Forms
suppler comparative, suppled past tense, Supples plural, supples singular, supplest superlative
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Stretching daily keeps her muscles _____.
Etymology
From Old French souple ("soft, lithe"), from Latin supplex ("kneeling, submissive"), ultimately from sub- + plicare ("to bend") — compare "complex."