flex
flex — noun
- flexsingular
- flexesplural
1. a bendable wire covered in plastic or rubber that connects an electrical device
a bendable wire covered in plastic or rubber that connects an electrical device to the mains power supply
Tamar replaced the damaged flex on her desk lamp after it started sparking.
collocation: damaged flex
The vacuum cleaner's flex was too short to reach the far side of the room.
Maja coiled the extension flex neatly and stored it under the stairs.
A three-metre flex should be long enough to connect the printer to the wall socket.
用法筆記
In British English, flex is the ordinary word for the cord that supplies electricity to an appliance. American English prefers cord or power cord.
2. the act of making a joint bend or a muscle become tight and firm
the act of making a joint bend or a muscle become tight and firm
The physiotherapist asked Hamza to hold the flex of his bicep for five seconds.
hold the flex of [body part]
Each flex of her calf muscle helped Soraya push harder on the bicycle pedal.
flex of [body part]
A slow and controlled flex of the knee joint is part of the warm-up routine.
Benjamin felt a sharp pain during the flex of his wrist after the fall.
- contraction
focuses on the muscle shortening, not the joint bending
- bend
less specific; used for both joints and materials
- extension
the straightening of a joint, opposite of bending
3. the quality that lets a solid material be curved many times without getting dama
the quality that lets a solid material be curved many times without getting damaged
The engineers tested the flex of the new composite material under extreme heat.
test the flex of [material]
This type of rubber has excellent flex and returns to its original shape quickly.
excellent flex
Ayana checked the flex of the plastic tube before using it in the water system.
Repeated flex of the metal strip caused tiny cracks to appear along its surface.
- flexibility
more common and general term; flex is often used in technical contexts
- pliability
emphasises the ability to be shaped without springing back
4. a flat or room that has a light movable wall put in so it has an additional livi
a flat or room that has a light movable wall put in so it has an additional living space
The homeowners turned the one-bedroom flat into a flex by adding a lightweight dividing wall.
turn [room] into a flex
The landlord advertised the property as a two-bedroom flex with a removable partition.
Esteban rented a flex in the city centre as it was cheaper than an apartment.
Local building rules do not allow owners to create a flex without a permit.
- partition
a lightweight wall, not necessarily creating a separate room
用法筆記
This term is used mainly in British property advertisements and housing regulations. It is rare in everyday conversation or in American English.
5. something a person owns or has achieved that they proudly draw attention to, oft
something a person owns or has achieved that they proudly draw attention to, often in a way that irritates other people
Showing everyone his new watch was just another flex that annoyed his colleagues.
Sari's biggest flex is that she ran a marathon without any training beforehand.
biggest flex
Posting photos of the private jet felt like an unnecessary flex to her followers.
His main flex is his favourite band's signed guitar, kept in a glass case.
- status symbol
an object that shows wealth or high social position, not necessarily annoying
用法筆記
This sense is informal and frequently used in social media and casual conversation. It often carries a slightly negative or mocking tone.
常見錯誤
flex — verb
- flexpresent simple I / you / we / they
- flexeshe / she / it
- flexedpast simple
- flexing-ing form
1. to bend a joint or press a muscle so that it becomes tight and hard, especially
to bend a joint or press a muscle so that it becomes tight and hard, especially to prepare for physical activity or to show strength
The trainer told the class to flex their ankles before starting the running drills.
flex + [body part]
Felipe flexed his injured shoulder slowly to check if it still hurt.
flex slowly
Aoi flexed her fingers to loosen them up before the piano exam.
Christopher flexed his arm and felt the muscle tighten under his shirt sleeve.
His leg muscles flexed automatically as he braced himself for the landing.
文法句型
flex + [body part]
flex [body part] + adverb
常見錯誤
2. to press or push a solid substance so that it curves without breaking, or for a
to press or push a solid substance so that it curves without breaking, or for a substance to curve in this way
The plastic ruler flexed easily when Eli tried to fit it into his school bag.
[material] flexes + adverb
Nicholas gently flexed the fishing rod to test its strength before casting.
flex + [material noun]
The bridge deck is designed to flex slightly in strong winds without breaking.
Reema flexed the cardboard sheet back and forth until it tore along the fold line.
- bend
more general; flex suggests controlled bending that does not damage the material
- snap
break suddenly rather than bending
文法句型
flex + [material noun]
[material] flexes + adverb
3. to make small changes to established rules, plans, or standards so that they fit
to make small changes to established rules, plans, or standards so that they fit a particular person or situation more fairly
The teacher decided to flex the deadline for students who provided medical certificates.
flex + [deadline]
Michael's manager agreed to flex the dress code during the summer heatwave.
flex + [rule/standard]
The festival organisers flexed the noise restrictions to allow the concert to run late.
Tendai asked if the company could flex its remote work policy for new parents.
- enforce
to apply a rule strictly without making allowances
文法句型
flex + [rule/policy/deadline]
用法筆記
This sense often appears in workplace, educational, or institutional settings where rules or schedules are made more lenient for a specific reason.
常見錯誤
4. to talk with pride about or show something you have or have achieved, often maki
to talk with pride about or show something you have or have achieved, often making others feel bothered by it
Dylan could not stop flexing about his promotion at every team meeting.
flex about + [topic]
Tamar flexed her new language skills by ordering the meal entirely in Mandarin.
Ayana was not trying to flex — she genuinely wanted to share her travel photos.
The teenager flexed on his classmates by wearing the most expensive sneakers to school.
Posting your salary online just to impress people is a cheap way to flex.
- hide
keep one's achievements or possessions private
文法句型
flex about + [noun/gerund]
flex on + [person]
flex + [possession/skill]
用法筆記
This sense is highly informal and originated in hip-hop and African American Vernacular English. It is very common on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. The preposition on (flex on someone) carries a competitive or aggressive tone, meaning to show superiority.