spry
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of spry
First recorded in 1740–50; origin uncertain
Explanation
If you are an old lady, remaining spry is something you aspire to. It means "nimble." You might also use it to describe a goat that jumps easily along from mountain crag to mountain crag. The most common use of spry is to describe people who are aging. You might say that at 92, your great grandmother is still spry and sharp as a tack. Spry refers to her physical well-being; "sharp as a tack" to her mental faculties.
Vocabulary lists containing spry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Analyst Levi Spry said forecast production may have been softer than market expectations, but could be a baseline.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
The company had beefed up its staff after acquiring four gaming businesses — Glendale-based Night School, Boss Fight Entertainment out of Allen, Texas, Finland-based Next Games and Spry Fox based in Seattle.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025
Susan Spry, another former inmate, told the series creators that was the only way to cook.
From Salon • Feb. 2, 2024
David Austin released his first rose, Constance Spry, named for a British writer and society floral designer, in 1961.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 18, 2023
A good example of this kind of work is the John Spry School of Chicago.
From Chapters in Rural Progress by Butterfield, Kenyon L. (Kenyon Leech)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
