folding

folding — adjective

1. Describes an object such as a chair, table, bed, or bicycle that has hinges or j

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Describes an object such as a chair, table, bed, or bicycle that has hinges or joints built into its frame so it can be made smaller for easier storage or carrying.

Example

The Watanabe family packed three folding chairs for the picnic at the park.

common pattern: folding + noun for portable furniture

Reema stored her folding bicycle in the small cupboard under the stairs.

Common collocations
  • folding chair
  • folding table
  • folding bed
  • folding bicycle
  • folding umbrella
  • folding screen
  • folding knife
  • folding ladder
Synonyms
  • collapsible

    More specific to objects that telescope or flatten; 'folding' is broader and more common for hinged items

  • foldaway

    Describes furniture designed to fold into a wall or cabinet for permanent storage

  • foldable

    Common in product descriptions, especially for electronics like phones and tablets

Antonyms
  • fixed

    Not designed to move or change shape

  • rigid

    Made of one solid piece that cannot bend or fold

Grammar Patterns

folding + noun

Usage Note

Only used before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say "This chair is folding" — instead say "This is a folding chair." To describe the action, use the verb 'fold': "This chair folds flat."

Common Mistakes

I bought a folding.
I bought a folding chair.
'folding' as an adjective must be followed by a noun; it cannot stand alone.

2. Describes a door or partition made of several hinged panels that fold against on

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

Describes a door or partition made of several hinged panels that fold against one another like a fan when opened, allowing the opening to be covered without a swinging door's arc.

Example

The bedroom closet has a folding door that slides on a track at the top.

Léa installed folding doors between her living room and study for flexible use.

collocation: folding doors for room division

Common collocations
  • folding door
  • folding partition
  • folding closet door
Synonyms
  • bi-fold

    Refers specifically to a two-panel folding door, a common subtype

  • accordion door

    A type of folding door with many narrow panels that compress like an accordion

Antonyms
  • solid door

    A single-piece door that swings open on hinges

  • sliding door

    A door that opens by gliding sideways on a track rather than folding

Grammar Patterns

folding + door / partition

Usage Note

Common in descriptions of space-saving home designs. Folding doors are different from sliding doors — folding doors have hinged panels that fold, while sliding doors glide on a track without folding.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe objects that can be made smaller for storage, but each has a different emphasis. Folding is the most general term, used for anything with hinges or joints — chairs, tables, beds, bicycles. Collapsible emphasizes that something can be reduced to a very flat or compact state, often by telescoping or collapsing in on itself, as with umbrellas, cups, or walking sticks. Foldaway specifically describes furniture designed to fold into a wall, cabinet, or another piece of furniture when not in use, such as a foldaway bed that disappears into a wardrobe. Foldable is a newer and more technical term, now widely used for consumer electronics like smartphones and tablets that bend at a hinge. In everyday speech, a camping chair is a folding chair, a tent pole is collapsible, a Murphy bed built into a cabinet is a foldaway bed, and a phone with a bendable screen is a foldable phone.

collapsiblefoldawayfoldable

Common collocations

Nouns

  • folding chair
  • folding table
  • folding bed
  • folding bicycle
  • folding umbrella
  • folding screen
  • folding knife
  • folding ladder
  • folding door
  • folding partition

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The adjective 'folding' comes from the verb 'fold,' which traces back through Middle English 'folden' to Old English 'fealdan,' meaning 'to bend, wrap up, or double over.' The verb has ancient Germanic roots — related to Old High German 'faldan' and Old Norse 'falda.' The adjective form developed naturally from the present participle of the verb, used to describe objects designed with the ability to be folded.