agile

[ aj-uhl, -ahyl ]

/ ˈædʒ əl, -aɪl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR agile ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

quick and well-coordinated in movement; lithe: an agile leap.

active; lively: an agile person.

marked by an ability to think quickly; mentally acute or aware: She's 95 and still very agile.

Nearby words

agh., agha, aghast, agi, agilawood, agile, agilely, agility, agin, agincourt, aging

Origin of agile

1570–80; earlier agil < Latin agilis, equivalent to ag- (base of agere to do) + -ilis -ile

SYNONYMS FOR agile

1 nimble, sprightly.

2 brisk, spry.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR agile ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR agile

1 awkward.

2 sluggish, lethargic.

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Related formsag·ile·ly, adverbag·ile·ness, nounun·ag·ile, adjectiveun·ag·ile·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for agile

His silhouettes, which so often make a woman appear aerodynamic and agile, this season left her looking grounded and sluggish.
Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten Kick Off Paris Fall 2012 Fashion Week|Robin Givhan|March 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Gingrich is a strong debater, agile enough even to turn a question about past marital infidelity into an applause line.
Mitt Romney Faces High Stakes in NBC Debate With Surging Newt Gingrich|Howard Kurtz|January 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Instead, renegade Newt threw haymakers at also-rans like Michele Bachmann, but was still smart and agile enough to come out ahead.
Paul Begala: Newt Obliterates the Competition in Saturday’s Debate|Paul Begala|December 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST
But like the organization he now runs, he is agile and adaptive.
Bin Laden’s Replacement|Bruce Riedel|June 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Nonetheless, the group has proven remarkably resilient and agile.
The Holiday Terror Jitters|Bruce Riedel|December 20, 2010|DAILY BEAST
She was young and agile, and besides she was greatly excited and in haste to begin the search.
Little Bessie, the Careless Girl|Josephine Franklin
When he madly tries to pull in one, the agile horses strain upon the others.
The Little Lady of Lagunitas|Richard Henry Savage
Little by little he slipped down, the branch giving more and more with every movement of his agile body.
Ann Arbor Tales|Karl Edwin Harriman
Everywhere the agile, beautifully-tinted lizards abound, sunning themselves on logs of wood, or scampering over the sandy soil.
The Western World|W.H.G. Kingston
Morgan was mounted on the horse borrowed from Stilwell, an agile young animal, tractable and intelligent.
Trail's End|George W. Ogden

British Dictionary definitions for agile

agile

/ (ˈædʒaɪl) /

adjective

quick in movement; nimble

mentally quick or acute

Derived Formsagilely, adverbagility (əˈdʒɪlɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for agile

C15: from Latin agilis, from agere to do, act

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for agile

agile

adj.

1580s, from Middle French agile (14c.) and directly from Latin agilis "nimble, quick," from agere "to move, drive" (see act (n.)). Related: Agilely.

agile

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of agile

Examples from the Web for agile

British Dictionary definitions for agile

agile

adjective

Word Origin for agile

Word Origin and History for agile

agile