supple

adjective sup·ple \ ˈsə-pəl also ˈsü- \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

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Examples: supple in a Sentence

Definition of supple

suppler play \ˈsə-p(ə-)lər\; supplest play \ˈsə-p(ə-)ləst\

1 a : compliant often to the point of obsequiousness

b : readily adaptable or responsive to new situations

2 a : capable of being bent or folded without creases, cracks, or breaks : pliant

supple leather

b : able to perform bending or twisting movements with ease : limber

supple legs of a dancer

c : easy and fluent without stiffness or awkwardness

sang with a lively, supple voice
—Douglas Watt

—

supplely

play \ˈsə-pə(l)-lē\ or supply play \ˈsə-p(ə-)lē\ adverb

—

suppleness

play \ˈsə-pəl-nəs\ noun

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Examples of supple in a Sentence

a dome tent outfitted with supple fiberglass tent poles
shoes made from supple leather

Recent Examples of supple from the Web

At 78, Cariou’s voice sounds nearly as supple and resonant as ever.

— kerry reid, chicagotribune.com, "Clever greatest-hit connections between Shakes and song in Len Cariou's 'Broadway & the Bard'," 8 June 2018
Most important, though, Jody commands a supple and resonant voice, capable of conveying a wide range of emotions without sounding forced, and her theatrical flair ramps up the intensity even further.

— david whiteis, Chicago Reader, "Southern soul-blues queen Ms. Jody always respects herself in the morning," 5 June 2018
In fact, the one thing that’ll keep your tan looking fresh longest is to keep your skin as supple and hydrated as possible.

— chloe metzger, Marie Claire, "4 Brilliant Tricks to Keep Your Spray Tan From Fading so Damn Fast," 23 May 2018
Along with the improvement of appearance of scarring, over 93 percent of the participants in the study claimed their skin felt softer and more supple.

— jesa marie calaor, Allure, "Lab Report: Applying Safflower and Olive Oil to Certain Scars Can Minimize Their Appearance," 3 May 2018
The shrimp summer rolls ($4.40, unfried spring rolls in Vietnamese dining parlance) were perfectly supple, with soft rice paper encasing the lettuce-heavy cylinders.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "It's difficult to choose a favorite dish at the impressive Thai Orange | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 1 May 2018
Aesthetics aside, less-than-supple feet can also feel uncomfortable — or even downright painful.

— sophie wirt, Allure, "The 11 Best Foot Creams That Podiatrists and Pedicurists Recommend for Dry, Achy Feet," 14 May 2018
In that effort, Stenz could count on supple support from the orchestra and lyrical playing from a sturdy trio of soloists: concertmaster Jonathan Carney, principal cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski and guest pianist Ryo Yanagitani.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "BSO delivers bracing Bernstein program with Benedetti, Alsop," 7 May 2018
The launch party was staged amid racks of designer dresses and fragrances, and a wall of supple leather shoes, and plenty of handbags.

— cindy dampier, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago ties are strong in Louis Vuitton's new Route 66 book," 4 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of supple

Middle English souple, from Anglo-French suple, from Latin supplic-, supplex entreating for mercy, supplicant, perhaps from sub- + -plic- (akin to plicare to fold) — more at ply

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

supple Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of supple

elastic, resilient, springy, flexible, supple mean able to endure strain without being permanently injured. elastic implies the property of resisting deformation by stretching.