ductile

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ductile contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ductile are adaptable, malleable, plastic, pliable, and pliant. While all these words mean "susceptible of being modified in form or nature," ductile applies to what can be drawn out or extended with ease.

ductile metals such as copper

When can adaptable be used instead of ductile?

The words adaptable and ductile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adaptable implies the capability of being easily modified to suit other conditions, needs, or uses.

computer hardware that is adaptable

When would malleable be a good substitute for ductile?

While the synonyms malleable and ductile are close in meaning, malleable applies to what may be pressed or beaten into shape.

the malleable properties of gold

Where would plastic be a reasonable alternative to ductile?

The meanings of plastic and ductile largely overlap; however, 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

When is it sensible to use pliable instead of ductile?

While in some cases nearly identical to ductile, pliable suggests something easily bent, folded, twisted, or manipulated.

pliable rubber tubing

When might pliant be a better fit than ductile?

Although the words pliant and ductile have much in common, pliant may stress flexibility and sometimes connote springiness.

an athletic shoe with a pliant sole

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ductile The all-aluminum M1s are apparently hard enough to handle ice but ductile enough to not easily chip or shatter when hitting rocks. Cameron Martindell, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024 The majority of Surprise’s water line system is made of PVC and ductile iron, Water Resource Management Director Mike Boule explained. Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 14 Nov. 2024 Plate tectonics is a scientific theory describing the large-scale motion of fragments of the earth's rigid outermost shell on an inner ductile layer. David Bressan, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 At the atomic level, there are principally four phases of auto steel, including the hardest yet most brittle, called martensite, and the more ductile austenite. John Johnson Jr., Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for ductile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ductile
Adjective
  • The mill meets the demand for stretch fabrics with a rigid appearance with Fit Cross.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 28 May 2025
  • All season long, New York has struggled to contain stretch bigs.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Japan hasn’t been as pliant as Trump seemed to expect.
    William Pesek, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • Letz is a physically and emotionally pliant but also a verbose actor of great versatility, able to play a standard Second City dad and Chicag’ow type, but also a neurotic (lots of call for that in this show) and a dweeb and, well, whatever gets thrown his way.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
Adjective
  • Three days later, the girls’ bodies were discovered with plastic bags over their heads and their hands bound at Rock Island Campground, police said.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
  • The Chelan County Sheriff's Office reported a deputy found the girls lifeless with plastic bags over their heads and evidence that their hands had been zip-tied.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • After all, the alternative of Joe Biden and later Kamala Harris was still seen to them as less desirable than Trump—who proved pretty pliable on the global stage during his first term.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 17 June 2025
  • The wrappers need to be soaked one at a time in water for about 10 seconds, until pliable.
    Lizzy Briskin, SELF, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Be adaptable, as your plans with friends and loved ones may change on a whim.
    Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 24 June 2025
  • Native Americans also believed spiderwort to be a sign of strength and endurance, possibly because the plant is adaptable to different conditions, though not in my yard.
    Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • These lightweight, relaxed-fit bottoms have earned thousands of glowing reviews for their comfort and versatility, especially thanks to the flight-friendly elastic waistband.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2025
  • This skirt features a flowing, tiered design with lightweight fabric and an elastic waistband for pull-on ease.
    Jené Luciani Sena may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ductile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ductile. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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