verb
flex
flehks
verb
1
To bend a joint or tighten a muscle, often to show strength.
"He flexed his biceps for the camera."
"Stretch and flex your fingers before you start typing."
2
To show off or boast, often about wealth, status, or ability (informal).
"She loves to flex her new car on social media."
noun
1
A flexible insulated electrical cord or cable (chiefly British).
"Mind the flex trailing across the kitchen floor."
2
An instance of boasting or showing off (informal).
"Buying that watch was pure flex."
How to Use Flex
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally, to bend or tighten a muscle; in slang, to show off something impressive.
When to use it
The "show off" sense of flex is informal slang, common in casual speech and social media, not formal writing.
UK vs US
In British English "flex" as a noun commonly means an electrical cord; Americans usually say "cord" or "cable" instead.
Common pairings
flex your muscles
flex on someone
flexible schedule
Word Forms
flexed past tense, flexes plural, flexes singular
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He _____ his biceps for the camera.
Etymology
From Latin flexus, the past participle of flectere ("to bend").