lithesome
Britishadjective
Etymology
Origin of lithesome
C18: from lithe + -some 1
Explanation
Lithesome describes something that's graceful and flexible, like a ballet dancer or a willow tree bending in the wind. Use the adjective lithesome when you need a delicate word to describe a person or thing that bends and turns easily, whether it's a jaguar in the jungle or a young gymnast on a balance beam. The more common lithe means the same thing, or you could use the words supple or lissome. Lithesome comes from lithe, which is rooted in the Old English liðe, meaning "soft, mild, gentle, or meek."
Vocabulary lists containing lithesome
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.
This wisecrack is positively cuckoo, a snatch of baby talk which has swept the country, used every day in every way by broad-shouldered huskies and lithesome lounge lizards as the last word in high-powered repartee.
From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2021
During his prime, from the mid-’80s to early ’90s, Roberts, a lithesome 6-foot-5, was often joined in the ring by Damien, his pet Burmese python, which he carried in a canvas sack.
From New York Times • Aug. 13, 2014
Mattel has long contended with complaints that Barbie, with her lithesome figure and focus on fashion, is not a positive role model for girls.
From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2014
Other finds: Hodgins, a lithesome teenager with angelic pipes, and Danielle Barnum, as the tough and yearning Paris gamine Eponine, who carries a flaming torch for Marius.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2013
His presence was overwhelming, yet equally evident was the lithesome grace of it.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
