ductile

[ duhk-tl, -til ]

adjective

1. capable of being hammered out thin, as certain metals; malleable.
2. capable of being drawn out into wire or threads, as gold.
3. able to undergo change of form without breaking.
4. capable of being molded or shaped; plastic.

ductile

/ dʌkˈtɪlɪtɪ; ˈdʌktaɪl /

adjective

1. (of a metal, such as gold or copper) able to be drawn out into wire
2. able to be moulded; pliant; plastic
3. easily led or influenced; tractable

ductile

/ dŭk′təl /

1. Easily stretched without breaking or lowering in material strength. Gold is relatively ductile at room temperature, and most metals become more ductile with increasing temperature.
2. Compare brittle
3. Relating to rock or other materials that are capable of withstanding a certain amount of force by changing form before fracturing or breaking.

Derived Forms

• ductility, noun
• ˈductilely, adverb

Other Words From

• duc·tile·ly adverb
• duc·til·i·ty [duhk-, til, -i-tee], duc·tile·ness noun
• non·duc·tile adjective
• sem·i·duc·tile adjective
• un·duc·tile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ductile¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin ductilis, equivalent to duct(us) (past participle of dūcere “to draw along”) + -ilis adjective suffix ( -ile )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ductile¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin ductilis, from dūcere to lead

Example Sentences

"Those extra electrons are important because they effectively make the ceramic material more ductile, meaning it can undergo more deformation before breaking, similar to a metal," said Vecchio.

From Science Daily

"Due to copper’s highly conductive and ductile nature, it is an ideal candidate for transformation and transmission of electrical energy in EVs," the bank said in a note dated Wednesday.

From Reuters

She and Bardem are both miscast, but Kidman is a particularly off fit for Ball, whose physical dexterity and ductile physiognomy, her rubber-band mouth and astonished eyes, are imprinted in our collective brain.

From New York Times

Hina and Hodaka have heart-shaped faces with huge gemstone eyes, small noses and tiny, ductile mouths that open wide and comically wider.

From New York Times

It’s no wonder, then, that on Sahman’s island of Sulawesi, companies have opened several mines in the past 15 years to feed the global market for stainless steel — made ductile and tough with nickel.

From Washington Post