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Synonyms

nimble

American  
[nim-buhl] / ˈnɪm bəl /

adjective

nimbler, nimblest

  1. quick and light in movement; moving with ease; agile; active; rapid.

    nimble feet.
    Synonyms:
    spry, sprightly, brisk, lively
    Antonyms:
    ungainly, clumsy

  2. quick to understand, think, devise, etc..

    a nimble mind.
    Synonyms:
    keen, sharp, quick-witted

  3. cleverly contrived.

    a story with a nimble plot.
nimble British  
/ ˈnɪmbəl /

adjective

  1. agile, quick, and neat in movement

    nimble fingers

  2. alert; acute

    a nimble intellect
"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

Other Word Forms

  • nimbleness noun
  • nimbly adverb
  • unnimble adjective
  • unnimbleness noun

Etymology

Origin of nimble

First recorded before 1000; late Middle English nymel, earlier nemel, Old English nǣmel “capable,” equivalent to nǣm- (variant stem of niman “to take”; nim 1 ) + -el -le

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.

The organization, as much as it can be called one, is bottom-up, nimble and local.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

It's a lighter car, they're more nimble, they are more fun to drive.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Moscow’s nimble defense procurement networks will adapt to keep drone supplies flowing.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

For more nimble investors, commodity prices may find longer-term support and experience shallower pullbacks as supply disruptions encourage countries to stockpile strategic materials.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

It was the kind of plane that men wanted to be seen in: handsome, masculine, nimble, fiercely armed, reliable, long-winded, and practically indestructible.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

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.