lissome

American  

[lis-uhm] / ˈlɪs əm /

Or lissom

adjective

1. lithesome or lithe, especially of body; supple; flexible.

   Antonyms:

   rigid

2. agile, nimble, or active.

   Antonyms:

   clumsy

---

Other Word Forms

• lissomely adverb
• lissomeness noun

Etymology

Origin of lissome

First recorded in 1790–1800; variant of lithesome ( def. )

Explanation

Lissome describes people or things that are slender, flexible, light, and graceful. If you watch long, thin blades of grass swishing in the breeze, they look like lissome dancers with swaying arms and torsos. Some examples of lissome bodies are those of mermaids twisting through the water, small snakes squiggling into sand piles, and men and women who bound up stairs as if they're light as air. A straw is thin and bendy, and you can use it to lift some liquid from a glass. Lissome sounds a little like "lift some," and it's an adjective for thin and flexible people, like a lissome ballerina with a gracefully arched back. Light, lean, liquid in movement — lissome.

Example Sentences

Watch a few old episodes of “Cheers,” and you’ll see shades of Rob Petrie’s lissome movement in Danson’s smooth-talking Sam Malone.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025

“Please go stream the album,” the lanky, severely-cheekboned Boose asked to a packed crowd of lissome, 20-something influencers and besuited industry types.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

It’s there on “December 11th,” named for the day she died, and on “The Eternal Stillness,” on which a tired yawn of lissome, high-pitched saxophone harmony leads to a restive, sparring exchange.

From New York Times • Feb. 24, 2022

But Sinephro has her own thing going entirely: It has to do with her lissome, contained-motion improvising on the harp, and the game versatility of the groups she puts together.

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2021

There were some who looked like human women, but had skin the color of moss and lips like bark; they moved with a lissome grace, treading circles in their cages.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo