pendulous
gb/pˈɛnd͡ʒʊləs/ us/pˈɛnd͡ʒʊləs/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
hanging down loosely
Hanging down and moving a little because it is not held up.
Usage pattern:
pendulous [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse it with "pensive" or "perilous" because they look similar; it relates to "pendulum" (something that hangs).
Synonyms
dangling (More common and less formal.)
|
drooping (Often suggests bending down from weakness or weight.)
Antonyms
upright (Standing up rather than hanging down.)
|
taut (Stretched tight rather than loose and hanging.)
Collocations
pendulous earrings
|pendulous branches
|pendulous leaves
|pendulous hair
|pendulous flowers
|pendulous folds
|a pendulous lamp
|pendulous vines
|a pendulous tassel
|pendulous skin
Themes
appearance
|objects
|nature
Examples
- A pendulous lamp hung low over the dining table.
- The old tree had pendulous branches that nearly touched the ground.
- She wore pendulous earrings that moved when she turned her head.
Learner examples
- A pendulous sign hung from the ceiling.
- The plant has pendulous flowers.
adjective
technical
C2
property
2
hanging body part or growth
Used in medicine or biology to say a part hangs down.
Usage pattern:
pendulous [body part/growth]
Common mistake:
In general conversation, speakers usually choose simpler words like "sagging" or "hanging" instead of this technical term.
Synonyms
sagging (More everyday; can sound judgmental outside clinical contexts.)
Antonyms
firm (Not hanging or sagging.)
Collocations
pendulous abdomen
|pendulous breast
|pendulous lobes
|pendulous mass
|pendulous tumor
|pendulous lesion
|pendulous pannus
|pendulous growth
Themes
health
|biology
Examples
- The clinician noted a pendulous mass beneath the skin.
- In the report, the surgeon described a pendulous fold of tissue.
- Some breeds have characteristically pendulous ears.
Grammar
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.