elastic implies the property of resisting deformation by stretching.
an elastic waistband
resilient implies the ability to recover shape quickly when the deforming force or pressure is removed.
a resilient innersole
springy stresses both the ease with which something yields to pressure and the quickness of its return to original shape.
the cake is done when the top is springy
flexible applies to something which may or may not be resilient or elastic but which can be bent or folded without breaking.
flexible plastic tubing
supple applies to something that can be readily bent, twisted, or folded without any sign of injury.
supple leather
Example Sentences
Adjective a dome tent outfitted with supple fiberglass tent poles shoes made from supple leather
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Instead of leaving skin feeling tight and dry, this pampering cleanse leaves skin feeling supple, dewy, and refreshed. Lindsay Colameo, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 And the fabrics are often supple and breathable, a far cry from the canvas-feeling garments of old. Will Taylor, Outside Online, 12 Aug. 2022 It’s supple, not soft and amorphous, shaped by acidity and beautiful fruit flavors.New York Times, 21 July 2022 With the help of this moisturizer, your skin will feel years younger, supple, and brightened.The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 June 2022 Daniela Galarza has a different way to enjoy this briny cheese that yields to supple perfection when roasted. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 Soak for 20-30 minutes to achieve the most supple, luscious skin your mirror has ever seen! Ava Darrin, ELLE, 26 Aug. 2022 Think rich woods, supple leather and custom artworks by local Texans and Native American Indians. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2022 This product is proof that a quality night cream doesn’t have to feel heavy or greasy in order to deliver supple, glowy results come morning. Lindsay Colameo, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English souple, suple, supple "obedient, compliant, flexible, relaxed," borrowed from Anglo-French, "submissive, suppliant, light (of wind), soft, yielding" (continental Old French sople), going back to Latin supplic-, supplex "making humble entreaty, suppliant," probably from sub-sub- + -plic-, from the stem of plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3
Note: Old French so(u)ple belongs to a group of words in which loss of an unstressed penultimate vowel in Gallo-Romance was hindered by a preceding consonant cluster. So, in Pierre Fouché's notation, supplice(m) became *sopletse, then *soplets, and with deletion of the final consonants, sople (see Phonétique historique du français, vol. 3 [Paris, 1966], p. 472). Compare prince. — The -plic- of supplex has also been taken as based on placēre "to be pleasing, find favor" and plācāre "to make favorably disposed, placate," though this seems less likely on derivational and semantic grounds, and for plācāre impossible, given the long a.
Verb
Middle English souplen, supplen "to make humble, make flexible, soften," derivative of suploe "obedient, compliant, supple entry 1"