spry
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
“As such with limited material capex on the horizon and Black Butte potentially offloaded, we expect material returns from August,” analyst Levi Spry says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
Sharon Spry, who has worked as a carer for 35 years, said it was a "real honour and a privilege" to care for her.
From BBC • May 31, 2024
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
Said “Oh! that I were Brisk and Spry To give him that for which to cry!”
From Cautionary Tales for Children by B. T. B. (Basil Temple Blackwood)
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.
