Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

Thesaurus

plastic

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of plastic

1 capable of being easily molded or modeled
  • Silly Putty is famous for being very plastic.
Synonyms of plastic

malleable, moldable, shapable (or shapeable), waxy
Words Related to plastic

adaptable

bendable, ductile, pliable, pliant, supple, willowy

elastic, flexible, limber, resilient, workable

bending, giving, kneadable, tractable, yielding
Near Antonyms of plastic

inflexible, intractable, rigid, stiff
2 lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
  • There's usually a plastic cordiality at these corporate events.
Synonyms of plastic

affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, phony (also phoney), pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, strained, unnatural
Words Related to plastic

automatic, canned, concocted, fabricated, hokey, labored, manufactured, pat, unauthentic, unreal, unrealistic

double-dealing, empty, facile, hollow, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy, mealymouthed, two-faced, unctuous

exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical (also theatric)

cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering

conventional, formal, impersonal, inflexible, rigid, stiff, stylized, wooden

artful, calculated, conscious, cultivated, deliberate, premeditated, studied
Near Antonyms of plastic

authentic, bona fide, real, realistic, right, true

honest, ingenuous, sincere, unpretending

easy, effortless, smooth

extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied
Antonyms of plastic

artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced

Synonym Discussion of plastic

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

Learn More about plastic

  1. See words that rhyme with plastic Dictionary: Definition of plastic Medical Dictionary: Definition of plastic Spanish Central: Translation of plastic Nglish: Translation of plastic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of plastic for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plastic

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up plastic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games