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:
Taiwan has been boosting defence spending for years and acquiring smaller and more nimble weaponry, including drones, to enable its military to wage asymmetric warfare against China.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
To his mind, the demand for Success Academy speaks to a need to fix traditional K-12 schools, which won’t ever be as nimble as other options.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
“You have to be nimble in this business and you have to be able to pivot always,” Ripa says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Writing like this ensures that “Diarra From Detroit” remains nimble from start to finish of each episode.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
The plantations were twice as big, twice as numerous, the fugitives more plentiful and nimble, the bounties higher.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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
The combat jet was nimbler and its bubble canopy provided better control and visibility for pilots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
In fact, for the past few decades, the civilian sector of the economy has been far nimbler and more innovative than Pentagon-funded initiatives, so — don’t be surprised — military spinoffs have greatly diminished.
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2024
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
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
Our sophisticated global production network—allegedly the nimblest, most efficient supply system in the world—seems unable to make basic adjustments.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 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
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.
