pliant

adjective

pli·​ant ˈplī-ənt 

1

: pliable sense 1a

2

: easily influenced : yielding

3

: suitable for varied uses

pliantly adverb

pliantness noun

Synonyms

• bendy [chiefly British]
• flexible
• limber
• lissome
• lissom
• lithe
• lithesome
• pliable
• supple
• willowy

Choose the Right Synonym for pliant

plastic, pliable, pliant, ductile, malleable, adaptable mean susceptible of being modified in form or nature.

plastic applies to substances soft enough to be molded yet capable of hardening into the desired fixed form.

plastic materials allow the sculptor greater freedom

pliable suggests something easily bent, folded, twisted, or manipulated.

pliable rubber tubing

pliant may stress flexibility and sometimes connote springiness.

an athletic shoe with a pliant sole

ductile applies to what can be drawn out or extended with ease.

ductile metals such as copper

malleable applies to what may be pressed or beaten into shape.

the malleable properties of gold

adaptable implies the capability of being easily modified to suit other conditions, needs, or uses.

computer hardware that is adaptable

Examples of pliant in a Sentence

a pliant Congress that will do whatever the President wants

a pliant branch bent low with the weight of ripe fruit

Recent Examples on the Web

Some are incredibly brittle, liable to fall apart when they’re made or when they’re slotted between the electrodes; others are softer and more pliant, but can’t be exposed to moisture. —Gregory Barber, WIRED, 6 June 2022

Or, scarier still, from complete GOP control of Washington, with Trump in the White House, his supplicants running Congress and a pliant Supreme Court dismantling any guardrails keeping a vengeance-minded president in check. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024

Especially at a time when President Biden’s reelection chances look increasingly shaky and a pliant U.S. Supreme Court has shown its willingness to extend a get-out-of-jail-free card to Trump for his attempt to steal the 2020 election. —Mark Barabak, The Mercury News, 6 July 2024

The Tesla board instantly executed the change of incorporation, which is evidently rooted in Musk’s conviction that Texas courts, which have little experience in adjudicating corporate governance issues, will be more pliant in his hands than the very experienced Delaware judiciary. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pliaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French pliant, plyaunt "able to be bent or folded, obedient, compliant," from present participle of plier "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pliant

adjective

pli·​ant ˈplī-ənt 

1

: pliable sense 1, flexible

pliant willow twigs

2

: pliable sense 2, yielding

3

: adjusting to changing conditions : adaptable

pliantly adverb