nimbly
Americanadverb
-
with quick, light, easy movement.
Our daughter sits on the ground plucking dandelions, her long brown fingers nimbly weaving them into a chain.
-
in a way that shows quick thinking or understanding, as in making appropriate adjustments, devising or carrying out plans, etc..
Local governance is often flexible and community based, enabling municipalities to respond to evolving conditions more nimbly than larger and slower-moving state governments.
Other Word Forms
- unnimbly adverb
Etymology
Origin of nimbly
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.
Mrs. Clarke was not a small woman, nor a young one, but she scurried down the ladder as nimbly as a squirrel.
From Literature
The children each nimbly seized a burning candle from one of the lit candelabras and used it to light all the rest, revealing two entirely unexpected sights.
From Literature
The children were much better climbers than she was and leaped over nimbly.
From Literature
This popemobile is a gas, a great ride that veers nimbly between smart and silly.
From Los Angeles Times
The current rules and biological opinions provide additional flexibility that allows operators of the pumping facilities to the Delta to “respond more nimbly to real-time conditions,” Nemeth said.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
