floppy

adjective flop·py \ ˈflä-pē \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of floppy

floppier; floppiest

: tending to flop; especially : being both soft and flexible

—

floppily

play \ˈflä-pə-lē\ adverb

—

floppiness

play \ˈflä-pē-nəs\ noun

See floppy defined for English-language learners

See floppy defined for kids

Examples of floppy in a Sentence

my basset hound is always tripping over her long, floppy ears

Recent Examples of floppy from the Web

Perhaps the best plan would be to stake the floppy plants to enjoy the blooms during the fall and winter months.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Sprinkling of Spanish moss won't harm plants," 21 Oct. 2017
There was no set or fancy computer graphics — just a colleague holding up printouts close to Mr. Klepper’s floppy coif.

— dave itzkoff, New York Times, "Jordan Klepper Wants to Be a Colbert for the Breitbart Era," 15 Sep. 2017
Check for snappy stems and fresh edges that aren’t all floppy with age.

— dylan rupert, Bon Appetit, "Make Your Own Bagged Greens, Eat So Much More Salad," 23 June 2017
In Belle Mare, Mauritius, British tourist Tabitha Nash was sunning herself poolside at one of the island nation’s resorts when a skinny white puppy with big floppy ears rushed toward her, eagerly wagging its tail.

— staff, The Christian Science Monitor, "Meanwhile... in Bhutan, the government is opening the door wider to foreign tourism," 20 Oct. 2017
Sheet metal from roofs and fencing has been turned into floppy strips of chewing gum, scattered on the hills.

— mckenna ewen, CNN, "About 1 million Americans without running water. 3 million without power. This is life one month after Hurricane Maria.," 18 Oct. 2017
Once again, the vegetables — forgettable iceberg lettuce, pinkish tomatoes, floppy pickle slices — disappointed.

— robert philpot, steve wilson and eric zarate, star-telegram, "Burger Battle Final Four: Did the comeback kids take down the powerhouses?," 12 Oct. 2017
Laschi, meanwhile, has built a robot with soft floppy arms that can wiggle through the water.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Octopus-Inspired Material Can Change Its Texture," 12 Oct. 2017
Denim items are styled on Instagram with lightweight linen blouses, soft T-shirts, and floppy straw hats.

— alice bell, Vogue, "How to Shop the Best Vintage Denim on Instagram," 31 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'floppy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of floppy

1858

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

floppy Synonyms

floppy

noun

Definition of floppy

plural floppies

: floppy disk

See floppy defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of floppy from the Web

To finish: Bring a pan of water to a boil and blanch the Chinese cabbage leaves and baby bok choy until floppy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

— sarah fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, "Recipe: Clear-Simmered Lion’s Head Meatballs," 27 Mar. 2018
Dark-bearded and muscular, the research ecologist sports a uniform of blue work clothes, sturdy boots and a floppy, Army-style camo hat.

— jeff wheelwright, Discover Magazine, "Marijuana: An Environmental Buzzkill," 21 Aug. 2017
Harry Styles has been a long time proponent of the look, with his floppy, voluminous coif taking those rom-com vibes and marrying them to some more 70s rock star looks, plus some 80s blowout aesthetic added in for fun.

— max berlinger, GQ, "The 6 Best Men's Grooming Moves of the Week," 17 July 2017
The next, the ricotta inside floppy tortellini got an extra spur from lemon zest.

— pete wells, New York Times, "Some Food, a Plate, a Room. That’s Enough at King, in SoHo.," 6 June 2017