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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

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
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