Lithe
adjective /laɪð/ — Thin and supple — moving as if bones have slightly different rules.
Definition
Thin, supple, and graceful; moving with easy, fluid agility.
Beyond the definition
Lithe is one of those words that moves as you read it. It's the word for the dancer, the climber, the willow in wind. Graceful isn't quite enough — lithe adds the suppleness, the absence of rigidity.
Origin & history
From Old English lithe — gentle, meek, flexible. Related to the verb to lithe (to be pliant). The word has always carried both physical and temperamental flexibility.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her lithe figure moved through the crowd with a practised ease that people noticed.
The cat landed with lithe precision — no wasted motion, no sound.
There's something lithe about certain kinds of intelligence — it bends around problems rather than meeting them head-on.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Lithe” when the meaning fits your context: Thin, supple, and graceful; moving with easy, fluid agility.
Synonyms
Antonyms
rigid, stiff, clumsy, inflexible
Related words
- nimble
- graceful
- adroit
- effervescent
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Runner in Motion
An adult runner mid-stride on an outdoor path is shown with a conceptual, semi-transparent overlay of muscles, heart, and lungs, highlighting movement.
Lithe refers to someone who is supple and moves with easy, fluid agility. The runner’s mid-stride posture, combined with the focus on basic bodily systems, captures the ease and grace of movement that comes from a body that is supple, thin, and moving fluidly through its environment.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Lithe" mean?
Lithe is adjective meaning: Thin and supple — moving as if bones have slightly different rules.. Thin, supple, and graceful; moving with easy, fluid agility.
Where does the word "Lithe" come from?
From Old English lithe — gentle, meek, flexible. Related to the verb to lithe (to be pliant). The word has always carried both physical and temperamental flexibility.