nimble
Americanadjective
adjective
-
agile, quick, and neat in movement
nimble fingers
-
alert; acute
a nimble intellect
Other Word Forms
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”; see nim 1) + -el -le
Explanation
If you're nimble, you can move quickly and with ease. That spryness can be both physical and mental, so even if your granny isn't very nimble on her feet, she can probably still whip you in chess. A toddler might recognize the word nimble from the nursery rhyme: "Jack be nimble / Jack be quick / Jack jump over / The candlestick," but may not be nimble enough to deduce the meaning. Nimble, from the 14th century Old English næmel, meaning "quick to grasp," can refer to one's mental quickness or physical agility.
Vocabulary lists containing nimble
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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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.
See Examples For:
Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said the latest results show "Nike's brand heat continues to fade and it isn't powerful enough to punch back against more nimble competitors."
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
But the club also knew they had to be nimble.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
The number of stocks outperforming the index over time is shrinking, increasing the need for active managers to be nimble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Until recently, however, aerial microrobots have been far less nimble than the insects that inspired them.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
In some ways, there’s never been a better time to be a smaller, nimbler defense company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Increasingly, these families are gaining direct access to these deals through nimbler independent wealth management firms and RIAs, according to Joshua Becker, co-leader of law firm Pillsbury’s Private Client & Family Office practice.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
Critics worry that the quieter, nimbler drones will be used to surveil the public with little oversight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
Cars will be smaller, nimbler and more environmentally friendly.
From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025
Dustfinger had always been proud of his own agility, but the boy was far nimbler, fast as a deer and with legs just as agile.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
And his vocal runs in a song like “Keith Whitley,” titled after the late country singer, have an appealing gruffness even at their nimblest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
But whether riding an exercise bike or scaling the skeletal set, McKellen is always the nimblest presence; the actor’s the thing, and the audience made its appreciation thunderously clear.
From New York Times ● Aug. 5, 2021
Gardner has long been considered both one of the nimblest Republican politicians and also one of the most vulnerable.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2020
Even your best telecasts somehow find a way to make the nimblest dancers stumble in some way or another.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2017
Rajesh had once been the most promising of the brothers—the nimblest, the supplest, the most charismatic, the most energetic, the most beloved and idolized by my father and his family.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
