nimble
Americanadjective
adjective
-
agile, quick, and neat in movement
nimble fingers
-
alert; acute
a nimble intellect
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nimble
First recorded before 1000; late Middle English nymel, earlier nemel, Old English nǣmel “capable,” equivalent to nǣm- (variant stem of niman “to take”; see nim 1) + -el -le
Explanation
If you're nimble, you can move quickly and with ease. That spryness can be both physical and mental, so even if your granny isn't very nimble on her feet, she can probably still whip you in chess. A toddler might recognize the word nimble from the nursery rhyme: "Jack be nimble / Jack be quick / Jack jump over / The candlestick," but may not be nimble enough to deduce the meaning. Nimble, from the 14th century Old English næmel, meaning "quick to grasp," can refer to one's mental quickness or physical agility.
Vocabulary lists containing nimble
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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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.
Appeared in the March 24, 2026, print edition as 'A Nimble Reset'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
The omnipresent Emcee, a queer Jack Be Nimble, can’t be dragged to the camps because he is a thematic stage presence, more a spirit than a depicted personage with a before/during/after narrative governed by reality.
From Salon • Oct. 4, 2025
Nimble pivots were central to the entire process.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2024
Border collies have dominated in prior years, and no dog as small as Nimble had ever won before.
From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024
This was Hermod, called the Nimble, Odin’s attendant, the fastest and the most daring of the young gods.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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.
