Ductile means a material, especially a metal, can be stretched or drawn into a thin wire without breaking. It can also mean something is easy to shape or, less commonly, easy to influence.

Simple examples

  • Gold is very ductile because it can be drawn into fine wire.
  • In everyday speech, someone may use it to mean “pliable” or “easily led”.

In one sentence

If something is ductile , it bends, stretches, or changes shape without snapping.