Flaccid
Soft and limp; lacking firmness or tone; can describe muscles, tissues, or other things that are not firm; can also describe a lack of vigor or vitality in a metaphorical sense.
adjectiveFlaccid
Soft and limp; lacking firmness or tone; can describe muscles, tissues, or other things that are not firm; can also describe a lack of vigor or vitality in a metaphorical sense.
adjectiveImagine This
When a fly is put into acid, it partially dissolves and becomes soft and finally turns into mush.
Sounds Like
FLAS-id
Looks Like
fly in acid
Remember This
In medicine, flaccid describes muscles lacking tone; flaccid paralysis can result from nerve or spinal damage.
Other Forms
Connect With
lax, limp, slack, flabby, atony, weakness, relaxation
Note
Flaccid implies limp, not stiff. Distinguish from 'flabby' (soft but not necessarily weak) and from 'rigid' or 'stiff'. In medical contexts, 'flaccid' often contrasts with 'spastic' or 'tonic' states.
Study Deeper
- The patient developed flaccid muscles on one side of the body after the spinal injury.
- Without regular exercise, muscles can become flaccid and weak.
From Latin flaccidus 'soft, slack', from flaccus 'drooping'.
Think of a limp, floppy limb: flaccid sounds like 'flop-sid' — remember that something flaccid is soft and has lost its tone.
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