Meaning & use
shapable
Last updated
UK/ˈʃeɪpəbl/
US/ˈʃeɪpəbl/
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Able to be shaped or formed into a particular shape; capable of being moulded.
Grammar: Not usually used with 'more' or 'most'; it describes a quality that is either present or not.
Patterns
- shapable material
- easily shapable
The clay is soft and easily shapable.
This new plastic is highly shapable when heated.
The material remains shapable for about ten minutes.
Common combinations
- easily shapable
- The dough is easily shapable into small balls.
- shapable material
- Engineers are testing a new shapable material for car bodies.
- highly shapable
- The metal is highly shapable at high temperatures.
Synonyms and how they differ
- malleable
- Malleable often refers to metals that can be hammered into thin sheets; shapable is broader and can apply to any material that can be formed.
- pliable
- Pliable means flexible and easily bent; shapable focuses on being formed into a specific shape, not just bent.
- flexible
- Flexible means able to bend without breaking; shapable means able to be given a new shape, often permanently.
Opposites
unshapablerigid
Word family
Commonly confused: shapable or shapeable?
shapable vs shapeable
Shapeable is the more common spelling; shapable is an accepted variant but less frequent.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence using 'shapable'.
Choose one answer.
'Shapable' means able to be shaped, so it fits with making a bowl. The other options contradict the meaning.
Make it your own
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