Supple means easily bent or flexible without breaking or feeling stiff. A gymnast's supple body allows her to bend into splits and backbends that would leave most people wincing. A supple leather jacket feels soft and moves naturally with your body instead of holding itself rigid like cardboard.

The word often describes physical flexibility, but it can also describe how someone thinks or adapts. A supple mind adjusts to new ideas and changing situations instead of stubbornly insisting everything stay the same. When a basketball player has supple wrists, he can flick the ball smoothly for accurate shots. When a musician has supple fingers, they glide across piano keys or guitar strings with ease.

The opposite of supple is stiff or rigid. Think about the difference between a fresh rubber band that stretches smoothly and an old, brittle one that might snap. Supple things have give to them: they yield to pressure but spring back to their original shape. A supple willow branch bends in strong wind instead of breaking like a brittle twig would. Regular stretching keeps your muscles supple, while sitting still all day makes them tight and inflexible.