lithe

C2+ Topic:Verbs of Movement

US /laɪð/ UK /laɪð/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like writhe /l/ vs /ɹ/

Meanings

1

adj
slim, supple, and graceful in movement

The lithe gymnast arched effortlessly into a backbend.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · slim, supple, and graceful... supple lissome limber graceful willowy nimble agilesvelte

Opposites

stiff rigid clumsy ungainly

Word family

Derived forms lithelylithenesslithesome

Related forms lissomelissom

Etymology

From Old English līþe ('soft, mild, gentle, meek'), from Proto-Germanic *linþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lent- ('flexible'). The modern sense 'supple, flexible' developed in Middle English.

līþe Old English *linþijaz Proto-Germanic *lent- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Verbs of Movement

External links

# lithe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /laɪð/
**IPA (UK):** /laɪð/

## Meanings
1. slim, supple, and graceful in movement

## Examples
- The lithe gymnast arched effortlessly into a backbend.

## Synonyms
- supple
- lissome
- limber
- graceful
- willowy
- nimble
- agile
- svelte

## Antonyms
- stiff
- rigid
- clumsy
- ungainly

## Derived Forms
- lithely
- litheness
- lithesome

## Related Forms
- lissome
- lissom

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: līþe
- Root: *linþijaz
- Root: *lent-

## Etymology
From Old English līþe ('soft, mild, gentle, meek'), from Proto-Germanic *linþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lent- ('flexible'). The modern sense 'supple, flexible' developed in Middle English.

## AI Etymology
Lithe comes from Old English līþe ('soft, mild, gentle, meek'), from Proto-Germanic *linþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lent- ('flexible'). The modern sense 'supple, flexible' developed in Middle English. The etymological trail includes Old English līþe, Proto-Germanic *linþijaz, and Proto-Indo-European *lent-. As an adjective, lithe means slim, supple, and graceful in movement. The same family is visible in derived forms such as lithely, litheness, and lithesome and related forms such as lissome and lissom.

## Topics
- Verbs of Movement

markdown