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nimbly

American  
[nim-blee] / ˈnɪm bli /

adverb

  1. with quick, light, easy movement.

    Our daughter sits on the ground plucking dandelions, her long brown fingers nimbly weaving them into a chain.

  2. 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

Etymology

Origin of nimbly

nimb(le) ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Bettan delivers his song, a lovestruck ballad called Michelle, with sincerity and passion, nimbly moving into his falsetto over a mix of electronic beats and Middle Eastern instrumentation.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Vargas Llosa intersperses the story with nimbly delivered informational chapters explaining the history and influences of the Peruvian vals, or waltz, which synthesizes European and indigenous musical styles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Tiera Kennedy, dressed in an Aaliyah T-shirt for her second Stagecoach performance of the day, moving nimbly through SWV’s always-welcome “Weak.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2025

The agency is in dire need of upgraded data analysis systems, Lurie says, which would help it more nimbly manage the brush fire of a contagious disease before it gets out of control.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 26, 2024

From there it sweeps across an Oriental rug, marches out to the back porch, leaps nimbly up onto a laundry line, and tightrope-walks across to the house behind.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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