Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective pliant contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pliant are adaptable, ductile, malleable, plastic, and pliable. While all these words mean "susceptible of being modified in form or nature," pliant may stress flexibility and sometimes connote springiness.

an athletic shoe with a pliant sole

When is it sensible to use adaptable instead of pliant?

While in some cases nearly identical to pliant, adaptable implies the capability of being easily modified to suit other conditions, needs, or uses.

computer hardware that is adaptable

Where would ductile be a reasonable alternative to pliant?

The synonyms ductile and pliant are sometimes interchangeable, but ductile applies to what can be drawn out or extended with ease.

ductile metals such as copper

When could malleable be used to replace pliant?

Although the words malleable and pliant have much in common, malleable applies to what may be pressed or beaten into shape.

the malleable properties of gold

When would plastic be a good substitute for pliant?

In some situations, the words plastic and pliant are roughly equivalent. 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 pliable a more appropriate choice than pliant?

The words pliable and pliant can be used in similar contexts, but pliable suggests something easily bent, folded, twisted, or manipulated.

pliable rubber tubing

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 pliant Starchy potato and lots of powdered sugar come together to form a pliant dough that's rolled up with sugary peanut butter. Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024 Uninfected cysts are typically painless to the touch, whereas boils are more pliant and painful. Mark Gurarie, Health, 6 Dec. 2024 But time has not dimmed the wattage of his recall for shenanigans having to do with pliant jury members and bags of francs. Steven Gaydos, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024 For all the talk and research that has gone into exploiting graphene’s pliant properties for use in wearable and flexible electronics, most of the polymer composites it has been mixed with to date have been on the hard and inflexible side. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Dec. 2016 See All Example Sentences for pliant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pliant
Adjective
  • The device uses microneedles and flexible wiring to capture neural signals just beneath the skin, enhancing signal quality while minimizing invasiveness.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Want a new career that’s higher-paying, more flexible or fulfilling?
    Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The fashion house’s artisans began experimenting with the material—which is extremely lightweight, strong, and pliable—and eventually created handles out of them by gently bending the stalks with fire and then applying many coats of lacquer.
    Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2025
  • When temperatures rise above three hundred and fifty degrees Celsius, rock becomes soft and pliable.
    Brent Crane, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Use a breathable paper or mesh bag, not plastic, to store your hyacinth bulbs.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2025
  • In South Broward County, Gladys Vasquez of Miramar clutches a plastic grocery bag and says the contents continue to cost more, listing foods like cheese and yogurt.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pliant. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pliant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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