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Docile vs Pliant - What's the difference?

docile | pliant |

As adjectives the difference between docile and pliant

is that docile is yielding to control or supervision, direction, or management while pliant is capable of plying or bending; readily yielding to force or pressure without breaking; flexible; pliable; lithe; limber; plastic; as, a pliant thread; pliant wax.

docile

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Yielding to control or supervision, direction, or management.
  • Ready to accept instruction or direction.

    • Synonyms

    * (yielding to control): compliant, malleable, meek, submissive, tractable * (ready to accept instruction): amenable, compliant, teachable

    Antonyms

    * (yielding to control): rebellious, wilful

    Derived terms

    * docilely * docility

    Related terms

    * docent * doctor * doctorate * doctrinaire * doctrinal * doctrine * document * indoctrinate

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    pliant

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Capable of plying or bending; readily yielding to force or pressure without breaking; flexible; pliable; lithe; limber; plastic; as, a pliant thread; pliant wax.
  • (figuratively) Easily influenced for good or evil; tractable; as, a pliant heart.
  • * 2013 , A. J. Langguth, Patriots
    • "[The king] had a pliant prime minister and a general who was telling him what he wanted to hear."

    Related terms

    * pliantly

    Derived terms

    * pliantness

    Anagrams

    * ----