pendulous
adjective
pen·du·lous
ˈpen-jə-ləs 
ˈpen-dyə-,
-də-
1
archaic
: poised without visible support
2
a
: suspended so as to swing freely
branches hung with pendulous vines
b
: inclined or hanging downward
pendulous jowls
3
: marked by vacillation, indecision, or uncertainty
pendulousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of pendulous in a Sentence
a cow with a pendulous udder
a pendulous crystal chandelier dominated the ballroom
Recent Examples on the Web
Now my face was enormous, my mouth elongated, my nostrils gaping, and my lips pendulous.
—
Hazlitt, 26 July 2023
Most of us non-natives who have chosen to dribble out our days at the tip of this pendulous peninsula — too soft or too old for harder lives being lived in greater America (my wife puts me in both categories) — realize that escape comes with certain cultural trade-offs.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2022
According to an article by MJ Banias, on the Web site the Debrief, Bigelow hired investigators to look into reports at Skinwalker of doglike creatures who smelled of sulfur and goblins with long, pendulous arms, as well as U.F.O. activity near Mt. Shasta.
—The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2021
His roof a worsted novel with covers of bloodhound ears are pendulous, but never turning like a page.
—Farnoosh Fathi, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
Waldron was the epitome of style and urbanity in jazz, from his pendulous brown cigarette dangling from his fingers to his signature coifed natural Black hair that grew into a stately white.
—Shannon J. Effinger, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2022
Her Cleopatra hairstyle had been dyed with strips of white, pink, and mold blue, and the pendulous ruffles of her gown-like overcoat were patterned orange and gray-green.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 21 Sep. 2022
Angèle quickly set about working with Viard and the Chanel team to reimagine the designs—with their thigh-high splits and pendulous accessories—for a 21st-century pop star.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 23 May 2022
Her law clerks purchased the necklace—sunflower-like with its bright yellow beadwork and pendulous small crystal balls—from Anthropologie.
—Alicia Ault, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Apr. 2022
See More
Hazlitt, 26 July 2023
Most of us non-natives who have chosen to dribble out our days at the tip of this pendulous peninsula — too soft or too old for harder lives being lived in greater America (my wife puts me in both categories) — realize that escape comes with certain cultural trade-offs.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2022
According to an article by MJ Banias, on the Web site the Debrief, Bigelow hired investigators to look into reports at Skinwalker of doglike creatures who smelled of sulfur and goblins with long, pendulous arms, as well as U.F.O. activity near Mt. Shasta.
—The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2021
His roof a worsted novel with covers of bloodhound ears are pendulous, but never turning like a page.
—Farnoosh Fathi, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
Waldron was the epitome of style and urbanity in jazz, from his pendulous brown cigarette dangling from his fingers to his signature coifed natural Black hair that grew into a stately white.
—Shannon J. Effinger, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2022
Her Cleopatra hairstyle had been dyed with strips of white, pink, and mold blue, and the pendulous ruffles of her gown-like overcoat were patterned orange and gray-green.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 21 Sep. 2022
Angèle quickly set about working with Viard and the Chanel team to reimagine the designs—with their thigh-high splits and pendulous accessories—for a 21st-century pop star.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 23 May 2022
Her law clerks purchased the necklace—sunflower-like with its bright yellow beadwork and pendulous small crystal balls—from Anthropologie.
—Alicia Ault, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Apr. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pendulous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin pendulus, from pendēre to hang
First Known Use
circa 1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near pendulous
Cite this Entry
“Pendulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pendulous. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
pendulous
adjective
pen·du·lous
ˈpen-jə-ləs
1
: hanging so as to swing freely
2
: hanging downward
pendulously
adverb
Medical Definition
pendulous
adjective
pen·du·lous
-ləs
: inclined or hanging downward
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