lithe

[ lahyth ]

/ laɪð /

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See synonyms for: lithe / litheness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, lith·er, lith·est.

bending readily; pliant; limber; supple; flexible: the lithe body of a ballerina.

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Also lithe·some

[lahyth-suhm] /ˈlaɪð səm/ .

Origin of lithe

before 900; Middle English lith(e), Old English līthe; cognate with Old Saxon līthi, German lind “mild,” Latin lentus “slow”

OTHER WORDS FROM lithe

lithely, adverblitheness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lithe in a sentence

Lithely she got to her feet and reached a dial upon the screen.
Hunters Out of Space|Joseph Everidge Kelleam
Had one single proportion been exaggerated or deficient, she could never have carried off her height so lithely and gracefully.
Sword and Gown|George A. Lawrence
The weasel, running lithely up the ragged trunk, knew that the chase was at an end.
The Backwoodsmen|Charles G. D. Roberts
A billet had rolled in his direction, and swaying lithely from the waist, with his eyes fixed upon the man, he seized it.
The Cattle-Baron's Daughter|Harold Bindloss

Lillie yielded so lithely to the sudden jump, that I could not help saying, 'How did you learn to ride so well?'
Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 118, August, 1887|Various

British Dictionary definitions for lithe

lithe

/ (laɪð) /

adjective

flexible or supple

Derived forms of lithe

lithely, adverblitheness, noun

Word Origin for lithe

Old English (in the sense: gentle; C15: supple); related to Old High German lindi soft, Latin lentus slow

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

lithe

Origin of lithe

OTHER WORDS FROM lithe

Words related to lithe

How to use lithe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lithe

Derived forms of lithe

Word Origin for lithe