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Glite Dictionary
unmalleable

unmalleable

9.0
Too hard to shape or bend
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈmælɪbəl/
translation icon : inflexible
  • The metal was unmalleable and could not be shaped.

Examples

  • The material was too unmalleable to be shaped into jewelry by hand.

  • Gold is valued for being soft and not unmalleable, unlike some harder metals.

  • Most plastics are pliable, but this particular formula is surprisingly unmalleable.

  • This material is unmalleable under high pressure.

  • The metal is unmalleable, making it difficult to form into different shapes.

  • Unlike clay, which is malleable, this substance is completely unmalleable and cannot be easily manipulated.

  • The artist chose an unmalleable material for the sculpture to ensure it retained its original form.

Synonyms

intractable
vsunmalleable
22 8.7

Hard to manage, change, or control

is limited to physical resistance to shaping rather than general manageability
unchangeable
vsunmalleable
5 4.0

You cannot make it different

refers specifically to inability to be shaped or bent rather than all change
inflexible
vsunmalleable
1 4.9

Not able to bend or change shape

emphasizes difficulty in shaping or working rather than only resisting bending
nonplastic
vsunmalleable
7.0

Not able to be shaped by hand or molded

is about general resistance to shaping or bending rather than technical plasticity
unmodifiable
vsunmalleable
7.1

No one can change it

focuses specifically on inability to be shaped or bent physically

Antonyms

malleable
  • Specialized
3 6.0

A material you can shape and bend without breaking, like gold or clay

How Malleable

pliable
8 4.2
malleable
  • Specialized
3 6.0
unmalleable
9.0
rigid
35 4.0

Surface Forms

unmalleable positive

Morphology

unmalleable = malleable (transparent) = un + malleable

Standard negation of the adjective 'malleable' using the productive prefix 'un-', so the negative meaning is directly deducible.

Etymology

Unmalleable breaks into un- meaning 'not' and malleable, which comes from the Latin malleus meaning 'hammer' and is like the English word mallet. So, unmalleable describes something that cannot be shaped, bent, or worked easily.