Meaning & use
limpid
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Perfectly clear and see-through, usually describing water, air or light.
Grammar: Goes before a noun or after a linking verb: limpid water, or the water was limpid.
Patterns
- limpid pool
- limpid water
We could see every pebble at the bottom of the limpid stream.
Her eyes were a limpid green in the morning sun.
The lake lay limpid and still before the storm.
adjectivecomparablefigurativeapproving
Easy to follow and free of confusion, describing writing, speech or music.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun: limpid prose. It praises the clarity.
Patterns
- limpid prose
- limpid style
The scientist explained the theory in limpid prose.
Critics praised the limpid style of her translation.
His limpid explanation made the problem seem simple.
Word forms
| comparative | more limpid |
|---|---|
| superlative | most limpid |
Common combinations
- limpid water
- Limpid water filled the mountain spring.
- limpid prose
- The essay is written in limpid prose that anyone can follow.
- limpid eyes
- The child looked up with limpid eyes.
- limpid pool
- A limpid pool lay beneath the waterfall.
- limpid light
- A limpid light filled the valley at dawn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clear
- Clear is the everyday word and works in any context, whereas limpid sounds poetic and suggests a pleasing, almost shining clarity.
- transparent
- Transparent stresses that light passes through, and it also suits glass or plastic, but limpid is mostly kept for water, eyes or style.
- lucid
- Lucid is used for thinking or explanations that are easy to follow, and it is less often used for physical liquids than limpid.
- crystalline
- Crystalline suggests sparkling, hard-edged purity, as in a crystalline voice, while limpid feels softer and calmer.
Opposites
Word family
- limpidity noun
- the quality of being limpid
- limpidly adverb
- in a clear and transparent way
- limpidness noun
- another word for limpidity
Commonly confused: limpid or limp?
limpid vs limp
Limp means lacking stiffness or strength, as in a limp handshake. It shares some letters with limpid but has no connection to clarity.
Practice
Which noun would a writer most naturally describe as limpid?
Choose one answer.
Limpid means clear and see-through, so it fits a mountain spring. A muddy field, a crowded street and a heavy meal have nothing to do with clarity.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “limpid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.