adjective
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possessing or characterized by resilience or bounce
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(of a place) having many wells or springs of water
Other Word Forms
- springily adverb
- springiness noun
Etymology
Origin of springy
Explanation
Something that's springy is flexible and bounces back when you press it, like springy grass or springy curls in your hair. Modern playgrounds often have springy surfaces on the ground under swings and slides for safety. The idea is that if kids fall on a springy mat, they will be cushioned, or even bounce a little bit, instead of injuring themselves. You can also use springy to describe an easy, carefree movement: "She marched to the stage with springy steps to accept her award."
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.
Even the “basic jitteriness” he identified in his own letter-writing is actually all to the good; they have the repleteness of his fiction, the springy, unexpected notice of the smallest particulars.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
“Humans are stretchy springy systems, that very nearly walk without much in the way of neural control,” Brooks writes.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2025
Still celebratory, still springy, still very much a carrot cake — but one with a bit more je ne se quoi.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2025
After stepping through a river, Robbie crouches down, and peels away springy grass and soil.
From BBC • May 24, 2024
We found one at the edge of the woods, about two feet long, one inch thick, and still green enough to be slightly springy.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
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.
