supple

1 of 2

adjective

sup·ple ˈsə-pəl How to pronounce supple (audio)

also ˈsü-

suppler ˈsə-p(ə-)lər How to pronounce supple (audio)

; supplest ˈsə-p(ə-)ləst How to pronounce supple (audio)

: compliant often to the point of obsequiousness

: readily adaptable or responsive to new situations

: capable of being bent or folded without creases, cracks, or breaks : pliant

supple leather

: able to perform bending or twisting movements with ease : limber

supple legs of a dancer

: easy and fluent without stiffness or awkwardness

sang with a lively, supple voice

Douglas Watt

supplely

ˈsə-pə(l)-lē How to pronounce supple (audio)

adverb

or supply

ˈsə-p(ə-)lē How to pronounce supple (audio)

suppleness

ˈsə-pəl-nəs How to pronounce supple (audio)

noun

supple

2 of 2

verb

suppled; suppling ˈsə-p(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce supple (audio)

transitive verb

: to make pacific or complaisant

supple the tempers of your race

Laurence Sterne

: to alleviate with a salve

: to make flexible or pliant

intransitive verb

: to become soft and pliant

Example Sentences

Adjective a dome tent outfitted with supple fiberglass tent poles shoes made from supple leather

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Instead of leaving skin feeling tight and dry, this pampering cleanse leaves skin feeling supple, dewy, and refreshed.

Lindsay Colameo, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 And the fabrics are often supple and breathable, a far cry from the canvas-feeling garments of old.

Will Taylor, Outside Online, 12 Aug. 2022 It’s supple, not soft and amorphous, shaped by acidity and beautiful fruit flavors.

New York Times, 21 July 2022 With the help of this moisturizer, your skin will feel years younger, supple, and brightened.

The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 June 2022 Daniela Galarza has a different way to enjoy this briny cheese that yields to supple perfection when roasted.

Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 Soak for 20-30 minutes to achieve the most supple, luscious skin your mirror has ever seen!

Ava Darrin, ELLE, 26 Aug. 2022 Think rich woods, supple leather and custom artworks by local Texans and Native American Indians.

Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2022 This product is proof that a quality night cream doesn’t have to feel heavy or greasy in order to deliver supple, glowy results come morning.

Lindsay Colameo, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English souple, suple, supple "obedient, compliant, flexible, relaxed," borrowed from Anglo-French, "submissive, suppliant, light (of wind), soft, yielding" (continental Old French sople), going back to Latin supplic-, supplex "making humble entreaty, suppliant," probably from sub- sub- + -plic-, from the stem of plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Note: Old French so(u)ple belongs to a group of words in which loss of an unstressed penultimate vowel in Gallo-Romance was hindered by a preceding consonant cluster. So, in Pierre Fouché's notation, supplice(m) became *sopletse, then *soplets, and with deletion of the final consonants, sople (see Phonétique historique du français, vol. 3 [Paris, 1966], p. 472). Compare prince. — The -plic- of supplex has also been taken as based on placēre "to be pleasing, find favor" and plācāre "to make favorably disposed, placate," though this seems less likely on derivational and semantic grounds, and for plācāre impossible, given the long a.

Verb

Middle English souplen, supplen "to make humble, make flexible, soften," derivative of suploe "obedient, compliant, supple entry 1"

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

单词	suppleness
释义	supple 1 of 2 adjective sup·ple ˈsə-pəl also ˈsü- suppler ˈsə-p(ə-)lər ; supplest ˈsə-p(ə-)ləst 1 a : compliant often to the point of obsequiousness b : readily adaptable or responsive to new situations 2 a : capable of being bent or folded without creases, cracks, or breaks : pliant supple leather b : able to perform bending or twisting movements with ease : limber supple legs of a dancer c : easy and fluent without stiffness or awkwardness sang with a lively, supple voice Douglas Watt supplely ˈsə-pə(l)-lē adverb or supply ˈsə-p(ə-)lē suppleness ˈsə-pəl-nəs noun supple 2 of 2 verb suppled; suppling ˈsə-p(ə-)liŋ transitive verb 1 : to make pacific or complaisant supple the tempers of your race Laurence Sterne 2 : to alleviate with a salve 3 : to make flexible or pliant intransitive verb : to become soft and pliant Synonyms Adjective bendy [chiefly British] flexible limber lissome lissom lithe lithesome pliable pliant willowy See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective a dome tent outfitted with supple fiberglass tent poles shoes made from supple leather Recent Examples on the Web Adjective Instead of leaving skin feeling tight and dry, this pampering cleanse leaves skin feeling supple, dewy, and refreshed. Lindsay Colameo, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 And the fabrics are often supple and breathable, a far cry from the canvas-feeling garments of old. Will Taylor, Outside Online, 12 Aug. 2022 It’s supple, not soft and amorphous, shaped by acidity and beautiful fruit flavors. New York Times, 21 July 2022 With the help of this moisturizer, your skin will feel years younger, supple, and brightened. The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 June 2022 Daniela Galarza has a different way to enjoy this briny cheese that yields to supple perfection when roasted. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 Soak for 20-30 minutes to achieve the most supple, luscious skin your mirror has ever seen! Ava Darrin, ELLE, 26 Aug. 2022 Think rich woods, supple leather and custom artworks by local Texans and Native American Indians. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2022 This product is proof that a quality night cream doesn’t have to feel heavy or greasy in order to deliver supple, glowy results come morning. Lindsay Colameo, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Adjective Middle English souple, suple, supple "obedient, compliant, flexible, relaxed," borrowed from Anglo-French, "submissive, suppliant, light (of wind), soft, yielding" (continental Old French sople), going back to Latin supplic-, supplex "making humble entreaty, suppliant," probably from sub- sub- + -plic-, from the stem of plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3 Note: Old French so(u)ple belongs to a group of words in which loss of an unstressed penultimate vowel in Gallo-Romance was hindered by a preceding consonant cluster. So, in Pierre Fouché's notation, supplice(m) became sopletse, then soplets, and with deletion of the final consonants, sople (see Phonétique historique du français, vol. 3 [Paris, 1966], p. 472). Compare prince. — The -plic- of supplex has also been taken as based on placēre "to be pleasing, find favor" and plācāre "to make favorably disposed, placate," though this seems less likely on derivational and semantic grounds, and for plācāre impossible, given the long a. Verb Middle English souplen, supplen "to make humble, make flexible, soften," derivative of suploe "obedient, compliant, supple entry 1" First Known Use Adjective 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb 14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1 Kids Definition supple adjective sup·ple ˈsə-pəl suppler ˈsə-plər ; supplest ˈsə-pləst 1 : capable of bending or of being bent easily without stiffness, creases, or damage a supple body supple leather 2 : adaptable a supple mind suppleness noun as in pliability Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance pliability pliancy ductility elasticity adaptability workability limberness plasticity pliableness malleability pliantness flexibility resilience workableness Antonyms & Near Antonyms stiffness rigidity inflexibility
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supple

adjective

verb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

noun