flex
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A flexible insulated electrical cord.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
flehksIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈflɛks
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
countable
A flexible insulated electrical cord.
uncountable
Flexible ductwork, typically flexible plastic over a metal wire coil to shape a tube.
countable
An act of flexing.
“He gave his biceps a flex to impress the ladies.”
uncountable
Flexibility, pliancy.
uncountablechiefly ukireland
Any flexible insulated electrical wiring.
countableslang
An act or instance of flaunting something; a boast or brag; something considered impressive.
verb
transitive
To repeatedly bend one of one's joints.
transitive
To move part of the body using one's muscles.
Exhibit the strength of
“The victorious army flexes its invincibility.”
intransitive
To tighten the muscles for display of size or strength.
transitiveslang
To boast or brag about; to flaunt (something).
intransitiveslang
To flaunt one's superiority; to show off.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Flexingnoun
“He gave his biceps a flex to impress the ladies.”
Exhibitverb
“The victorious army flexes its invincibility.”
More ways to use flex
- “He gave his biceps a flex to impress the ladies.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Capable of being changed.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.