malleable

adjective

mal·lea·ble | \ ˈma-lē-ə-bəl

, ˈmal-yə-bəl, ˈma-lə-bəl\

Definition of malleable

1 : capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers

2a : capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences

b : having a capacity for adaptive change

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about malleable

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Choose the Right Synonym for malleable

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

Did You Know?

There is a hint about the origins of "malleable" in its first definition. The earliest uses of the word, which first appeared in English in the 14th century, referred primarily to metals that could be reshaped by beating with a hammer. The Middle English word malliable comes to us from Medieval Latin malleabilis, which in turn derives from the Latin verb malleare, meaning "to hammer." "Malleare" itself was created from the Latin word for "hammer": "malleus." If you have guessed that "maul" and "mallet," other English words for specific types of hammers, can also be traced back to "malleus," you have hit the nail on the head.

Examples of malleable in a Sentence

The brothers Warner presented a flexible, malleable world that defied Newton, a world of such plasticity that anything imaginable was possible. — Billy Collins, Wall Street Journal, 28–29 June 2008 At each landing the villagers had carved the wonderfully malleable silt into staircases, terraces, crenellations, and ziggurats. — Kenneth Brower, National Geographic Traveler, March 2000 The boy seemed to me possessed by a blind, invalid arrogance, and every human being, as his eye flicked over or flinched against them, became, immediately, as malleable as his mother and his father. — James Baldwin, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, 1985 the cult leader took advantage of the malleable, compliant personalities of his followers

Recent Examples on the Web

Horford’s smart, versatile game is malleable to any winning era in Celtics history. — Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, "Al Horford would have fit in with any great Celtics team," 19 June 2019 Cheatham’s biggest weakness is a highly questionable jump shot, which won’t do him many favors, but his offensive role at forward is otherwise malleable. — Jeremy Woo, SI.com, "2019 NBA Draft Big Board 7.0: Top 100 Prospect Rankings," 5 June 2019 Adult brains are less malleable than juvenile ones, much as a Boltzmann machine trained with 100,000 car images won’t change much upon seeing another: Its synapses already have the correct weights to categorize a car. — Quanta Magazine, "As Machines Get Smarter, Evidence They Learn Like Us," 23 July 2013 In reality, algorithms applied to malleable humans can have drastically different and pernicious side effects on a global scale. — Wired Opinion, WIRED, "AI Algorithms Need FDA-Style Drug Trials," 15 Aug. 2019 The Swampers’ simpatico playing and malleable country-funk made them music’s hit-making secret sauce, in the mid ’60s at FAME Studios and then their own Muscle Shoals Sound in Sheffield after seceding from Hall in 1969. — Matt Wake | [email protected], al, "Swampers drum legend’s hot beats and cold winter," 7 Aug. 2019 While Johnson's stance on Brexit has defined his leadership bid, his incendiary remarks on everything from religion to race have sparked criticism about his character, and his malleable political views have raised questions about his convictions. — Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, "Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister at critical moment for UK," 24 July 2019 His critics see him as an calculated self-aggrandizer with malleable political convictions. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Boris Johnson is set to be the UK’s new prime minister," 23 July 2019 Antitrust always has been a malleable tool for politicians and marketplace rivals to exert power over successful businesses. — Jessica Melugin, Fortune, "Why Recent Antitrust Regulation Isn’t Really About Consumer Protection," 16 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malleable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for malleable

malleable

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of malleable

technical : capable of being stretched or bent into different shapes

formal : capable of being easily changed or influenced

See the full definition for malleable in the English Language Learners Dictionary

malleable

adjective

mal·lea·ble | \ ˈma-lē-ə-bəl

, ˈmal-yə-bəl\

Kids Definition of malleable

: capable of being extended or shaped with blows from a hammer

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malleable

Definition of malleable

Synonyms for malleable

Choose the Right Synonym for malleable

Did You Know?

Examples of malleable in a Sentence

First Known Use of malleable

History and Etymology for malleable

English Language Learners Definition of malleable

Kids Definition of malleable

malleable

Definition of malleable

Synonyms for malleable

Choose the Right Synonym for malleable

Did You Know?

Examples of malleable in a Sentence

First Known Use of malleable

History and Etymology for malleable

English Language Learners Definition of malleable

Kids Definition of malleable

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