1 pendulous | Definition of pendulous

pendulous

adjective
pen·​du·​lous | \ ˈpen-jÉ™-lÉ™s How to pronounce pendulous (audio) , ˈpen-dyÉ™-, -dÉ™-\

Definition of pendulous

1 archaic : poised without visible support
2a : suspended so as to swing freely branches hung with pendulous vines
b : inclined or hanging downward pendulous jowls
3 : marked by vacillation, indecision, or uncertainty

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Other Words from pendulous

pendulousness noun

Examples of pendulous in a Sentence

a cow with a pendulous udder a pendulous crystal chandelier dominated the ballroom

Recent Examples on the Web

The Rays, again getting by on their wits and wiggling into playoff contention by winning more with less this season, came out of a pendulous game with a victory in their typically untypical fashion. Hunter Atkins, Houston Chronicle, "Rays take see-saw battle from Astros to avoid sweep," 29 Aug. 2019 Growing 1-3 feet tall and wide, Gartenmeister fuchsia grows upright when young but becomes more pendulous with age. Karen Dardick, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Summer blooms that can take the heat," 18 July 2019 There are just a few of us standing around while these big, bizarre creatures, whose pendulous noses hang down past their mouths, honk and roar at each other while bickering over guavas. Christopher Bagley, Condé Nast Traveler, "Sailing the South China Sea Is the Best Way to See Southeast Asia," 15 Nov. 2018 Katz brackets the sensuous fruit abstractly, with pendulous flat green shapes masked by striped columns. Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "Flattening time’s tides; a ‘Maid’ made in the shade," 30 May 2018 At night the pendulous blooms release an ambrosial scent. R. Daniel Foster, latimes.com, "What a showoff: Ghostly Brugmansia delivers spectacular garden blooms," 22 June 2018 The unattended soil must contain a perfect blend of acidity; the saturated colors of the voluptuous, pendulous flowers that cluster on the lightweight branches range from faint whitish-blue to deep pink and dusky purple. Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award runner-up: "Here Is Where the Taxi Driver Set His Wife on Fire" by GKS Waller," 2 June 2018 Sweat slid down my sides and into the new crevices of my emptied-out and rearranged gut, which was stacked up in a pile beneath my pendulous breasts, my stinging nipples. Meaghan O'connell, Longreads, "A Certain Kind of Mammal," 10 Apr. 2018 If the branches are pendulous and hang down, boost up the pot so the branches hang gracefully. Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "How to get a Christmas cactus to bloom," 18 Dec. 2017

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

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First Known Use of pendulous

circa 1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for pendulous

Latin pendulus, from pendēre to hang

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More Definitions for pendulous

pendulous

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of pendulous

formal + literary : hanging down and swinging freely

pendulous

adjective
pen·​du·​lous | \ -lÉ™s How to pronounce pendulous (audio) \

Medical Definition of pendulous

: inclined or hanging downward

More from Merriam-Webster on pendulous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pendulous