Malleable
/ˈmæl.i.ə.bəl/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Malleable describes something, usually a material or a person's character, that can be bent, shaped, or changed easily. For example, metals like gold are malleable because you can press or hammer them into new shapes. When talking about people or ideas, malleable means open to new ideas or able to change easily.
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See It in Action
Able to be physically shaped or bent without breaking (usually metals or materials)
- •Gold is very malleable and can be made into thin sheets.
- •The blacksmith worked with malleable iron to create tools.
- •Some plastics are malleable when heated.
Able to be influenced or changed easily (ideas, people, attitudes)
- •Children’s minds are malleable and open to learning new things.
- •Her malleable personality helped her adapt to different cultures.
- •The plan was malleable enough to change when new problems appeared.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "malleable" like "soft," but not just soft like a pillow—soft in a way that you can change its shape without breaking it.
- ✓Picture a piece of warm clay that you can press and mold with your hands into different forms.
- ✓It's the feeling when you are open to new thoughts or can easily learn something new without feeling stuck.
- ✓Sounds like "MAL-ee-uh-bull" → Imagine a little ball of metal that you can MAL-let (hammer) softly to change its shape.
- ✓In stories, heroes sometimes have malleable minds—they learn and grow easily when they face challenges.
- ✓NOT like "brittle" (breaks easily), malleable things bend and change without breaking.
- ✓NOT like "hard" or "rigid" (stiff and unchanging), malleable things are flexible and adaptable.
Try Other Words
- •Pliable: able to bend or be shaped easily (Use when talking about physical things that bend easily)
- •Adaptable: able to change or adjust to new conditions (Use when talking about people or plans that can change)
- •Soft: not hard or firm (Use when the focus is on texture rather than ability to change shape)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "malle-" (from Latin "malleus" meaning hammer) + "-able" (able to be)
- •Etymology: From Latin "malleabilis," meaning able to be hammered or shaped
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe metals that could be hammered into shapes without breaking
- •Modern usage: Now also used for people’s minds or things that can be influenced or changed easily
Reflect & Connect
•How can being malleable be a good quality for a person? Can it ever be a bad thing?
•What examples can you find in your life where something malleable changed shape or opinion?
Fill in the blanks
1.Gold is malleable because it can be ___ into thin sheets without breaking.
2.A malleable person is usually open to ___ new ideas and suggestions.
3.Unlike brittle materials, malleable things can change shape without ___.
4.When metal is heated, it often becomes more malleable and easier to ___.
5.The teacher’s malleable approach helped students ___ their learning styles.
6.A plan that is malleable can be ___ if unexpected problems happen.
7.Plastic becomes malleable when it is ___, allowing it to be molded into different shapes.