flexuous

adjective

flex·​u·​ous ˈflek-sh(ə-)wəs 

1

: having curves, turns, or windings

2

: lithe or fluid in action or movement

Did you know?

Flexuous is a synonym of curvy. It is typically used in botany to describe plant stems that aren't rigid. But don't let that tendency deflect you from occasionally employing this ultimately quite flexible word. Stemming straight from Latin flectere, meaning "to bend," it can also mean "undulating" or "fluid." It might, for example, be used of writing or music, or of something or someone that moves with a fluid sort of grace.

Examples of flexuous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, Gabbard’s flexuous political journey slightly resembles that of her prospective boss, who was allied with both the Reform Party and the Democratic Party before remaking the Republican Party in his own image. —Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin flexuōsus, from flexus "act of bending, bend, curve" (from flectere "to cause to go in a different direction, bend, curve" + -tus, suffix of action nouns) + -ōsus -ose entry 1

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Medical Definition

flexuous

adjective

flex·​u·​ous ˈfleksh-(ə-)wəs 

: lacking rigidity in structure or action

flexuous filamentous virus particles

—M. Hema et al.