pliable
/ˈplaɪəbəl/ adjective
- adjective Soft, flexible, easily bent, formed, shaped, or molded. “You will find the clay perfectly pliable as long as it stays moist.”
- adjective Easily persuaded; yielding to influence.
Synonyms
lithy fictile ductile malleable pliant tensile tractile elastic flexible bendable waxy
Etymology
From Middle French, from Old French ploiable, from ploiier (“to fold”). By surface analysis, ply + -able. Compare pliant.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Capable of being plied, turned, or bent; easy to be bent; flexible; pliant; supple; limber; yielding; as, willow is a pliable plant.
- adjective Flexible in disposition; readily yielding to influence, arguments, persuasion, or discipline; easy to be persuaded; --sometimes in a bad sense; as, a pliable youth. "Pliable she promised to be." Dr. H. More.
Etymology [F., fr. plier to bend, to fold. See Ply, v.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pliable”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details