flex
gb/flˈɛks/ us/flˈɛks/
B1
英语
~ 9200
义项
0 个义项
unknown
slang
B2
action
1
to show off to impress
to show something you have or can do so that people will be impressed
用法模式：
to flex [something]
常见错误：
Learners sometimes think "flex" always means "to bend" because of older dictionary senses. In modern slang, especially online, it very often means "to show off". It is also easy to overuse this word in formal writing, where "show", "display", or "boast" are usually better choices.
近义词
show off (Neutral informal; slightly broader and older than the very current slang use of "flex".)
反义词
downplay (Means to make something seem less important, the opposite of drawing attention to it.)
搭配
flex on
|flex hard
|flex his wealth
|flex her new car
|flex your skills
|subtle flex
主题
social
|internet
|youth_culture
|communication
|emotions
例句
- He loves to flex his new sneakers on Instagram.
- She wasn’t trying to flex; she was just excited about her promotion.
- Buying bottle service at that club was such an unnecessary flex.
- They keep flexing their travel photos in every group chat.
- It was a quiet flex, but everyone noticed the designer watch.
学习者例句
- He likes to flex his new phone at school.
- She flexed her English skills in the meeting.
- They flexed their new car in front of the house.
- He posted the photo to flex his muscles.
- That big wedding felt like a flex to their friends.
动词
B1
action
2
to tighten a muscle
to make a muscle tight and hard, often to show strength or for exercise
用法模式：
to flex [a muscle / body part]
常见错误：
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the slang sense "to show off" and use it with people or things instead of body parts, e.g. *"He flexed his car"* in a physical sense. For the muscle meaning, the object should be a body part or muscle.
近义词
contract (More technical and neutral; does not carry the idea of showing strength in front of others.)
反义词
relax (Means to let the muscle become loose, the opposite of tightening it.)
搭配
flex your muscles
|flex his biceps
|flex her arm
|flex the knee
|flex the wrist
|flex and hold
主题
health
|sports
|body
例句
- The trainer told him to flex his abs and hold for ten seconds.
- She flexed her arm to show the progress she’d made at the gym.
- Gently flex your knee after surgery to keep the joint moving.
- He flexed his fingers before sitting down at the piano.
- The doctor asked her to flex and relax the ankle repeatedly.
学习者例句
- Flex your arm and make a fist.
- The coach said, "Flex your legs, then relax."
- He flexed his muscles in front of the mirror.
- The doctor told me to flex my foot every hour.
- I flex my back when I do this exercise.
动词
B2
action
3
to bend without breaking
to bend or move a thing a little without breaking it
用法模式：
to flex [something]
常见错误：
Learners may overuse "flex" when simply "bend" is enough. "Flex" is more often used when the material’s flexibility is important (it bends slightly and does not break).
近义词
bend (More general; does not always include the idea of not breaking or returning to the original shape.)
反义词
snap (Describes breaking rather than bending, the opposite outcome of safe flexing.)
搭配
flex the material
|flex the board
|flex under pressure
|designed to flex
|flex and return
|flexible enough to flex
主题
science
|technology
|core_vocabulary
例句
- The plastic can flex a little without cracking.
- Engineers tested how much the bridge could flex in high winds.
- This yoga mat is thick enough to flex under your weight.
- The skis are designed to flex when you turn.
- Gently flex the strip of metal to see how strong it is.
学习者例句
- This ruler can flex, but it does not break.
- The tree will flex in a strong wind.
- The thin board flexed when he stood on it.
- These shoes flex with your feet when you walk.
- The new phone can flex a little without damage.
名词
slang
B2
action
4
an act of showing off
an action or thing that someone does to show off
用法模式：
[something] is a flex
常见错误：
Learners may try to use "flex" as a verb here (*"That flexes"*) when native speakers usually use it as a noun in this sense: "That’s a flex." It is also easy to overuse in formal writing, where phrases like "show of wealth" or "display of confidence" are more appropriate.
近义词
boast (Usually refers to proud words; "flex" can be about things or actions, not only what someone says.)
反义词
humility (Humility is not trying to show off, the opposite attitude of making a flex.)
搭配
big flex
|strange flex
|weird flex
|power flex
|subtle flex
|status flex
主题
social
|internet
|youth_culture
|communication
|emotions
例句
- Flying first class for a one-hour flight is a serious flex.
- Posting that screenshot of his bank balance was such a flex.
- Bringing homemade bread to every meeting has become her little flex.
- Donating anonymously instead of making it a flex would have felt better.
- Finishing the marathon without training was a dangerous flex.
学习者例句
- That big watch is a flex.
- Buying two phones is a flex, not a need.
- Her new car is a huge flex at work.
- Inviting everyone to a very expensive dinner was his flex.
- Showing all your medals is a clear flex.
名词
informal
B2
property
5
flexibility in plans or rules
the freedom to change plans, time, or rules when you need to
用法模式：
to have some flex in [something]
常见错误：
Learners sometimes use "a flexibility" instead of "flexibility" or "flex". When using "flex" in this sense, it is usually uncountable ("some flex", "more flex"), not *"a flex".
近义词
flexibility (More standard and slightly more formal; "flex" is shorter and informal, often used in business talk.)
反义词
rigidity (Describes a fixed, unchanging state, the opposite of having flex in plans or rules.)
搭配
flex in the schedule
|flex in deadlines
|offer more flex
|built-in flex
|a bit of flex
|no flex on price
主题
business
|daily_life
|work
例句
- There’s some flex in the deadline if you need more time.
- This job has a lot of flex around start and finish times.
- We don’t have much flex in the budget this year.
- Talk to your manager about getting more flex in your schedule.
- The contract allows a bit of flex on delivery dates.
学习者例句
- My boss gives me flex in my work hours.
- There is no flex on the exam date.
- We need some flex in the project plan.
- This company offers flex for working from home.
- Ask if there is flex on the price.
名词
technical
B2
entity
6
flexible electric cable
the flexible electric wire that connects a machine to the plug or power
用法模式：
to plug [something] into the flex
常见错误：
Learners outside the UK may not recognize this noun sense and instead only know "cable" or "power cord". In British English DIY or home contexts, "flex" is common for flexible electrical cable.
近义词
power cord (More common in general modern English; "flex" is particularly used in British English and technical or DIY contexts.)
反义词
fixed wiring (Refers to electrical wires built into walls or structures, not flexible cords.)
搭配
lamp flex
|replace the flex
|cut the flex
|live flex
|flex cable
|flex and plug
主题
technology
|home
例句
- Make sure the flex isn’t damaged before you use the kettle.
- The electrician said we needed to replace the flex on the lamp.
- He tripped over the flex running across the floor.
- Always unplug the flex before trying to repair the appliance.
- The flex was too short to reach the socket behind the sofa.
学习者例句
- The flex of my iron is broken.
- Please do not pull the flex too hard.
- I see a cut in the flex of this lamp.
- We need a longer flex for this fan.
- She rolled the flex and put it in a box.
动词
C1
action
7
to show power or strength
to use or show your power or skill in a strong and clear way
用法模式：
to flex [power / strength / influence]
常见错误：
Learners may confuse this sense with the more casual slang "to flex" meaning simply "to show off" anything. In news and business writing, this sense usually relates to real power or influence, not just personal style or possessions.
近义词
assert (More formal and focused on stating or using power; "flex" is more vivid and often suggests a show of strength.)
反义词
hold back (Means to avoid using full power or strength, the opposite of flexing it.)
搭配
flex its muscles
|flex their power
|flex his influence
|flex their dominance
|flex military strength
|chance to flex
主题
politics
|business
|communication
例句
- The company is starting to flex its financial power in the market.
- The government used the summit to flex its diplomatic muscles.
- Smaller brands are now able to flex their creative strengths online.
- The team really flexed its defensive skills in the final.
- Streaming platforms are flexing their influence over the film industry.
学习者例句
- The big country can flex its power in this region.
- Our team will flex its skills in the next game.
- The rich company likes to flex its money.
- Small groups can also flex their voice online.
- The leader did not want to flex his power this time.
动词
slang
C1
action
8
to cancel or skip something
to choose not to go to or do something you planned to do
用法模式：
to flex [a class / meeting / plan]
常见错误：
This sense is not universal; using it with older or more formal speakers may cause confusion. Learners may also think it is standard English, but in many situations "skip" or "cancel" is safer and more widely understood.
近义词
skip (Very common and neutral; "flex" is more slangy and used in some youth or campus groups.)
反义词
show up (Means to attend as planned, the opposite of flexing on an event.)
搭配
flex class
|flex the meeting
|flex practice
|flex work today
|might flex tonight
|decided to flex
主题
daily_life
|school
|education
例句
- I’m so tired I might just flex class today.
- They all decided to flex the meeting and go for coffee instead.
- He flexed practice again, so the coach is getting annoyed.
- We can’t flex this appointment; it took months to get.
- She flexed the party at the last minute and stayed home.
学习者例句
- He was sick, so he flexed class.
- I want to flex the meeting and sleep.
- They all flexed practice yesterday.
- She flexed the party because she was tired.
- Do not flex work without telling your boss.
语法
词典原形
flex
IPA
GB/flˈɛks/
US/flˈɛks/
音节与重音
flex （1 个音节）
Stress on 1st syllable (flex)
词形变化
Noun
- Base: flex
- Plural: flex, flexes
Verb
- Base: flex
- 3rd Person Singular: flexes
- Present Participle: flexing
- Past: flexed
词族
Forms
flexes
noun
flexing
verb
flexed
verb
Core family
flexible
adjective A2
flexibility
noun B1
Related words
flexibly
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
inflexible
adjective
inflexibility
noun
inflexibly
adverb
相关表达
flex on
1/flˈɛks ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
slang
show off in someone’s face
to show what you have or can do in front of someone so they feel less cool, rich, or strong than you
例句
- He’s always trying to flex on his coworkers with his expensive suits.
- Stop flexing on people just because you got a raise.
- She loves to flex on her ex by posting photos from her trips.
flex room
1/flˈɛks ɹˈum/
fixed phrase
room with changeable use
a room in a home that can change use, for example it can be a bedroom, office, or playroom at different times
例句
- They use the flex room as a playroom during the day and a guest room at night.
- The house has three bedrooms and a flex room off the kitchen.
- We turned the flex room into a small home gym.
flex space
1/flˈɛks spˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
room usable for many purposes
a room or area that is not for only one use and can be used as an office, bedroom, playroom, or something else
例句
- The apartment includes a flex space that can be used as a home office.
- They turned the flex space into a guest room.
- Real estate ads often highlight flex space as a selling point.
flex time
1/flˈɛks tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
variable work hours system
a work system where workers can choose their start and finish times within limits instead of working one fixed schedule
例句
- The company offers flex time so parents can do school drop-offs.
- With flex time, she usually starts work at ten and finishes at six.
- Many employees said flex time was more important than a pay raise.
weird flex but okay
1/wˈɪɹd flˈɛks bˈʌt ˌoʊkˈeɪ/
idiom
slang
comment on a strange boast
a joking way to say that someone is showing off something strange or not very impressive, but you will not argue about it
例句
- He bragged about sleeping only three hours a night—"Weird flex but okay," she replied.
- Posting your parking ticket as if it’s cool is a weird flex but okay.
- She said she never takes vacations because she loves work so much. Weird flex but okay.
flex your muscles
1/flˈɛks jˈʊɹ mˈʌsəlz/
idiom
informal
Show off power or strength
To show your strength or power to warn people or make them respect you.
例句
- The army is flexing its muscles with a large military parade.
- The company flexed its muscles by lowering prices to beat competitors.
flex your muscles
2/flˈɛks jˈʊɹ mˈʌsəlz/
idiom
show or use your power
to use or show your power or strength in a clear way so that people can see what you can do
例句
- The country is flexing its muscles with a series of military exercises.
- The new manager flexed her muscles by changing several key policies in her first week.
- Smaller creators are starting to flex their muscles on the platform.