Meaning & use
lithe
Last updated
UK/laɪð/
US/laɪð/
Meaning
adjectivecomparableliterary
Bending and moving easily, with smooth graceful flexibility.
Grammar: Often more lithe and most lithe; describes bodies, movements, dancers, animals, and figures.
Patterns
- lithe body
- lithe movements
- lithe dancer
- lithe figure
The lithe dancer changed direction without a visible effort.
Yoga made her back feel stronger and more lithe.
A lithe cat slipped through the narrow garden gate.
Word forms
| comparative | more lithe |
|---|---|
| superlative | most lithe |
Common combinations
- lithe movements
- The swimmer's lithe movements conserved energy through the turn.
- lithe body
- Daily stretching kept the climber's body lithe after injury.
- lithe and graceful
- The deer was lithe and graceful as it crossed the frozen field.
Synonyms and how they differ
- supple
- Supple stresses easy bending, especially of body or material; lithe adds graceful smoothness in motion.
- limber
- Limber suggests flexibility from looseness or training, often less elegant than lithe.
- graceful
- Graceful describes beauty of movement but does not by itself imply flexibility.
Opposites
Word family
- litheness noun
- The quality of being lithe; flexible grace.
- lithely adverb
- In a lithe manner; gracefully and flexibly.
Commonly confused: lithe or blithe?
lithe vs blithe
Blithe means carefree or casually cheerful; lithe describes flexible graceful movement.
Practice
Choose the sentence where lithe fits best.
Choose one answer.
Gymnast training and flexible movement fit lithe. Excuses and answers cannot be lithe, and blithe would fit a carefree tone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lithe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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