pliant
adjective
pli·ant ˈplī-ənt 
1
: pliable sense 1a
2
: easily influenced : yielding
3
: suitable for varied uses
pliantly adverb
pliantness noun
Synonyms
- bendy [chiefly British]
- flexible
- limber
- lissome
- lissom
- lithe
- lithesome
- pliable
- supple
- willowy
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a pliant Congress that will do whatever the President wants a pliant branch bent low with the weight of ripe fruit
Recent Examples on the Web The latter was met by a pervasive campaign of repression from Beijing and a new national security law rubber-stamped by Hong Kong’s pliant legislature. 
Karina Tsui, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 Chassis settings are pliant to the point of sometimes feeling soft. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 24 June 2022 Pérez oversees a vast network of pliant news media, dependent not only on his grace and favor for information and access but cowed, too, by the sheer scale and heft of his business interests. New York Times, 27 May 2022 Abnesti’s best patient is the sullen, pliant Jeff (Miles Teller), a convict serving time for manslaughter who’s haunted by memories of the misbehavior that landed him in prison. David Sims, The Atlantic, 20 June 2022 The roasted carrots are cooked to a pliant, mellow sweetness that ricochets off the tart pickles and the crunch of the raw vegetables. Jenn Harriscolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2022 Amplified by a pliant Russian media, the pretext appears to enjoy widespread public buy-in. Patrick Galey, NBC News, 8 May 2022 In gentler modes, the air springs still feel pliant by segment standards, with the Trofeo's body moving noticeably under bigger loadings. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 5 Apr. 2022 Critics claim that coverage of the election campaign was dominated by a pliant media. John Fund, National Review, 5 Apr. 2022 See More
Karina Tsui, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 Chassis settings are pliant to the point of sometimes feeling soft. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 24 June 2022 Pérez oversees a vast network of pliant news media, dependent not only on his grace and favor for information and access but cowed, too, by the sheer scale and heft of his business interests. New York Times, 27 May 2022 Abnesti’s best patient is the sullen, pliant Jeff (Miles Teller), a convict serving time for manslaughter who’s haunted by memories of the misbehavior that landed him in prison. David Sims, The Atlantic, 20 June 2022 The roasted carrots are cooked to a pliant, mellow sweetness that ricochets off the tart pickles and the crunch of the raw vegetables. Jenn Harriscolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2022 Amplified by a pliant Russian media, the pretext appears to enjoy widespread public buy-in. Patrick Galey, NBC News, 8 May 2022 In gentler modes, the air springs still feel pliant by segment standards, with the Trofeo's body moving noticeably under bigger loadings. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 5 Apr. 2022 Critics claim that coverage of the election campaign was dominated by a pliant media. John Fund, National Review, 5 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English pliaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French pliant, plyaunt "able to be bent or folded, obedient, compliant," from present participle of plier "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
pliant
adjective
pli·ant ˈplī-ənt
: pliable
pliantness
noun
as in pliableness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- pliableness
- suppleness
- ductility
- pliancy
- adaptability
- pliability
- workableness
- elasticity
- workability
- plasticity
- malleability
- limberness
- flexibility
- resilience
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- stiffness
- rigidity
- inflexibility