English Meaning & Definitions
To bend a limb or joint, or to tighten a muscle.
- “He began to flex his arm to show off his bicep.”
- “The athlete flexed her knees before starting the sprint.”
To show off or display one's wealth, status, or abilities in an ostentatious way.
- “He likes to flex his new luxury car whenever he drives through the city.”
- “It is a major flex to show up to the meeting with a signed contract.”
An act of showing off or a display of power, wealth, or influence.
- “Buying the most expensive bottle in the club was a total flex.”
- “The company's decision to buy out its competitor was a bold flex.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “flex”.
Derived from the Latin 'flectere', meaning 'to bend'. It entered Middle English via the past participle 'flexus'. In modern slang, it evolved from the 19th-century sense of 'flexing muscles' to show strength, to the 20th-century hip-hop culture usage of 'flexing' as a display of wealth or status.
Think of a bodybuilder 'flexing' their muscles to show off their strength.
Frequently Asked Questions About “flex”
1. What is the meaning of “flex” in English?
In English, flex (verb) is defined as: “To bend a limb or joint, or to tighten a muscle.”.
2. How do you use “flex” in a sentence?
“He began to flex his arm to show off his bicep.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “flex”?
Derived from the Latin 'flectere', meaning 'to bend'. It entered Middle English via the past participle 'flexus'. In modern slang, it evolved from the 19th-century sense of 'flexing muscles' to show strength, to the 20th-century hip-hop culture usage of 'flexing' as a display of wealth or status.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.