lithe

[ lahyth ]
See synonyms for: lithelitheness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,lith·er, lith·est.
  1. bending readily; pliant; limber; supple; flexible: the lithe body of a ballerina.

Origin of lithe

1
before 900; Middle English lith(e), Old English līthe; cognate with Old Saxon līthi, German lind “mild,” Latin lentus “slow”
  • Also lithe·some [lahyth-suhm] /ˈlaɪð səm/ .

Other words from lithe

  • lithely, adverb
  • litheness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lithe in a sentence

  • Lithely she got to her feet and reached a dial upon the screen.

    Hunters Out of Space | Joseph Everidge Kelleam
  • Had one single proportion been exaggerated or deficient, she could never have carried off her height so lithely and gracefully.

    Sword and Gown | George A. Lawrence
  • The weasel, running lithely up the ragged trunk, knew that the chase was at an end.

    The Backwoodsmen | Charles G. D. Roberts
  • A billet had rolled in his direction, and swaying lithely from the waist, with his eyes fixed upon the man, he seized it.

    The Cattle-Baron's Daughter | Harold Bindloss
  • Lillie yielded so lithely to the sudden jump, that I could not help saying, 'How did you learn to ride so well?'

British Dictionary definitions for lithe

lithe

/ (laɪð) /


adjective
  1. flexible or supple

Origin of lithe

1
Old English (in the sense: gentle; C15: supple); related to Old High German lindi soft, Latin lentus slow

Derived forms of lithe

  • lithely, adverb
  • litheness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012