malleable

adjective

mal·​lea·​ble ˈma-lē-ə-bəl How to pronounce malleable (audio)
ˈmal-yə-bəl,
ˈma-lə-bəl
1
: capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers
2
a
: capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences
b
: having a capacity for adaptive change

Did you know?

Language is constantly evolving; the meanings, spellings, and pronunciations of words are reshaped over time. Take, for example, the Latin noun malleus, meaning "hammer." This word was adapted to create the Latin verb malleare, meaning "to hammer," which led eventually to the English adjective malleable. Malleable originally meant "capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer," and over time adopted the broader sense "capable of being shaped, altered, or controlled." If you guessed that maul and mallet, other English words for specific types of hammers, are also modeled from malleus, you have hit the nail on the head.

Choose the Right Synonym for malleable

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 malleable in a Sentence

The brothers Warner presented a flexible, malleable world that defied Newton, a world of such plasticity that anything imaginable was possible. Billy Collins, Wall Street Journal, 28–29 June 2008
At each landing the villagers had carved the wonderfully malleable silt into staircases, terraces, crenellations, and ziggurats. Kenneth Brower, National Geographic Traveler, March 2000
The boy seemed to me possessed by a blind, invalid arrogance, and every human being, as his eye flicked over or flinched against them, became, immediately, as malleable as his mother and his father. James Baldwin, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, 1985
the cult leader took advantage of the malleable, compliant personalities of his followers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The general fund represents more malleable parts of the budget the city can more easily adjust and excludes things such as public utilities and the city’s stadium and arena. Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 20 June 2025 But while the character itself can be malleable, there’s many preconceptions on the core elements that define him. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025 Without whipping out the periodic table of elements and giving you a science lesson in the chemical components of this material, here’s the need-to-know: These compounds form a malleable foam that holds teeny-tiny bubbles within it. Julia Forbes, Wired News, 17 June 2025 Anthony Beauvillier Fit: Top-nine winger The Leafs need more malleable forwards like Beauvillier with a variety of tools in their toolbox. Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for malleable

Word History

Etymology

Middle English malliable, from Medieval Latin malleabilis, from malleare to hammer, from Latin malleus hammer — more at maul

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of malleable was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Malleable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malleable. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

malleable

adjective
mal·​lea·​ble ˈmal-ē-ə-bəl How to pronounce malleable (audio)
ˈmal-(y)ə-bəl
1
: capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers
a malleable metal
2
: capable of being changed so as to fit new uses or situations : flexible, adaptable
malleability
ˌmal-ē-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce malleable (audio)
ˌmal-(y)ə-ˈbil-
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on malleable

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