Flex Means to Bend and, Recently, to Boast
To flex is to bend or tighten a muscle. Modern slang turned the gym gesture into a word for showing off.
To flex is to bend something, or to tighten a muscle so it stands out. The slang sense of boasting comes directly from the gesture: flexing a bicep to display it became a word for displaying anything, and *weird flex but okay* spread the usage widely after 2018. In British English a *flex* is also an electrical lead, short for flexible cord. Latin *flectere*, to bend, gives *reflect*, *deflect* and *inflection*.
- To bend. *Flex your fingers.*
- To tighten a muscle. *Flexing his arms.*
- To boast (slang). *That is a flex.*
- An electrical lead (British). *A frayed flex.*
- Latin — *flectere*, to bend. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | flex | Flexing. |
| Noun | flex | A flex. |
| Adjective | flexible | Flexible. |
| Noun | flexion | Flexion. |
| Latin | flectere | To bend. |
- Flex your knees slightly.Movement.
- The flex needs replacing.British.
- That is quite a flex.Slang.
The flectere family
- Reflect — to bend back
- Deflect — to bend aside
- Inflect — to bend a word's form
- Flexible — able to be bent
- Circumflex — bent around, the accent mark
Latin *flectere*, to bend, through *flexus*, bent.
Why does flex mean to boast?
From flexing a muscle to display it. The gesture of showing off became a word for showing off anything.
What is a flex in British English?
An electrical lead, short for flexible cord, as on a lamp or appliance.