flaccid

flac·cid

adjective \ˈfla-səd also ˈflak-səd\

Definition of FLACCID

1

a : not firm or stiff; also : lacking normal or youthful firmness <flaccid muscles>

b of a plant part : deficient in turgor

2

: lacking vigor or force <flaccid leadership>

— flac·cid·i·ty \fla(k)-ˈsi-də-tē\ noun

— flac·cid·ly \ˈfla(k)-səd-lē\ adverb

Examples of FLACCID

1. <the flaccid stalks of celery that had been around for far too long>
2. Virgil Thomson, in his review of the evening, called the libretto “flaccid and spineless,” but that is unfair. It is a witty piece of writing. —J. D. McClatchy, New Republic, 29 Nov. 1993
3. Her hands are long and slim, delicate, as Dorothy's were; her handshake is flaccid, her smile is sweet but unconvincing. —Richard Bausch, Esquire, August 1990
4. Half must have been, of course, men and women over fifty and their bodies reflected the pull of their character … many a man had a flaccid paunch … —Norman Mailer, Harper's, November 1968

Origin of FLACCID

Latin flaccidus, from flaccus flabby

First Known Use: 1620

Related to FLACCID

Synonyms

droopy, limp, floppy, lank, yielding

Antonyms

inflexible, resilient, rigid, stiff, sturdy, tense

Related Words

flabby, mushy, semisoft, soft, squashy, squishy; delicate, flimsy, insubstantial; elastic, flexible, lax, loose, pliant, relaxed, resilient, springy, stretchy, supple

Near Antonyms

firm, hard, indurated, solid, sound, strong; brittle, crisp; compact, dense, substantial

Other Physiology Terms

eructation, flux, gustatory, menarche, myopia, senescence, torpor

Rhymes with FLACCID

acid, Chasid, Hasid, jassid, placid

flac·cid

adjective \ˈflas-əd, ˈflak-səd\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of FLACCID

: not firm or stiff; also : lacking normal or youthful firmness <flaccid muscles>

—flac·cid·i·ty \fla(k)-ˈsid-ət-ē\ noun, plural flac·cid·i·ties