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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebBasically, steel is iron, with a little carbon added in to increase strength: tiny carbon atoms nestle between the larger iron ones, making the steel denser and more ductile. Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2021 One of her teachers there was the conceptual artist Allan Kaprow, who had a long familiarity with Asian art and viewed both art and culture as ductile categories.New York Times, 22 Aug. 2021 On the same day that Marchitelli and Lorusso were going street-by-street with their sound equipment, a separate crew had fenced off a portion of a block in downtown Bari, laying new, blue pipes of ductile iron.Washington Post, 30 July 2021 This technique, known as annealing, realigned the atoms and relaxed their bonds, making the metal more ductile. Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2020 Gold is ductile and can conduct electricity, for example. Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2020 His 2017 diagnosis of invasive ductile carcinoma was triggered by a mutation of his BRCA2 gene, which can raise the risk of developing breast, prostate and ovarian cancers. Lauren Caruba, ExpressNews.com, 28 Dec. 2019 The work includes the replacement of the existing water main at 73rd Avenue between North Avenue and Bloomingdale Avenue with a new 8-inch ductile iron water main. Pioneer Press, chicagotribune.com, 14 May 2018 For this artist, time — ductile and emotionally loaded — seems as important a medium as photography or sculpture. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2018 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English ductil, from Latin ductilis, from ducere — see ductentry 1