flex C2+ Topic:Sports & Fitness US /flɛks/ UK /flɛks/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like flax /ɛ/ vs /æ/ Meanings 1 verb to bend a joint or muscle; informally, to show off He flexed his arm to show off the new tattoo. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to bend a joint or muscle;... bendcurvecontracttightenboastbragcrook ↔ Opposites straightenextendrelaxstretch Word family Derived forms flexibleflexorflexionflexileflexure Related forms flexibleflexionreflexflexile Etymology AI details From Latin flexus, past participle of flectere ('to bend'). flectere Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Sports & Fitness External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # flex **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /flɛks/ **IPA (UK):** /flɛks/ ## Meanings 1. to bend a joint or muscle; informally, to show off ## Examples - He flexed his arm to show off the new tattoo. ## Synonyms - bend - curve - contract - tighten - boast - brag - crook ## Antonyms - straighten - extend - relax - stretch ## Derived Forms - flexible - flexor - flexion - flexile - flexure ## Related Forms - flexible - flexion - reflex - flexile ## Roots and Affixes - Root: flectere ## Etymology From Latin flexus, past participle of flectere ('to bend'). ## AI Etymology Flex comes from Latin flexus, past participle of flectere ('to bend'). The historical trail runs through Latin flectere. In modern use it means to bend a joint or muscle; informally, to show off. Derived formations include flexible, flexor, flexion, flexile, flexure; related forms include flexible, flexion, reflex, flexile. ## Topics - Sports & Fitness markdown