Meanings
nounsuppleness (usually uncountable, plural supplenesses)
plural supplenesses
- uncountableusuallyThe quality of being supple; litheness, flexibility, pliability, manageability.
Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe gracefulness of a person or animal that is flexible and supple
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Dutch soepelheid, lenigheid
- soepelheidthe quality of being supple
- lenigheidthe quality of being supple
Finnish notkeus
- notkeusthe quality of being supple
French souplesse
- souplessethe quality of being supple
German Geschmeidigkeit, Flexibilität
- Geschmeidigkeitthe quality of being supple
- Flexibilitätthe quality of being supple
Irish aclaíocht, leabhaireacht
- aclaíochtthe quality of being supple
- leabhaireachtthe quality of being supple
- lúfaireachtthe quality of being supple
- solúbthachtthe quality of being supple
- umhlóidthe quality of being supple
Italian flessuosità
- flessuositàthe quality of being supple
Latin mollitia, mollitūdō
- mollitiathe quality of being supple
- mollitūdōthe quality of being supple
- mollitiēsthe quality of being supple
Norwegian Bokmål smidighet
- smidighetthe quality of being supple
Polish gibkość, elastyczność
- gibkośćthe quality of being supple
- elastycznośćthe quality of being supple
Swedish smidighet
- smidighetthe quality of being supple
Cite this entry
APA
suppleness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suppleness
MLA
“suppleness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suppleness. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “suppleness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suppleness.
Source: suppleness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.