Lithe

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /laɪð/

Definitions

1. Gracefully thin and flexible, moving with ease and suppleness
2. Moving with effortless elegance and possessing a slender, supple form capable of bending without rigidity
3. Characterized by a nimble grace and a slender physique that allows for agile and smooth movement

Etymology: The adjective "lithe" has a surprising tie to gentleness rather than slimness. Its Old English ancestor, "līþe," meant "gentle, mild," and it was applied to people and temperaments long before anyone used it for a supple body. The sense of being soft or yielding came first; the image of a bending, flexible frame grew out of that softness. The word is linked to a family of verbs meaning "to soften, calm, or ease." Old English "līþian" meant to soften or appease, and German "lindern," meaning to alleviate or relieve, is a close relative. Some sources also list Latin "lentus," meaning "supple," as a possible distant cousin, though that connection is uncertain. A separate, less-certain line of thought connects the word to Old English "hlēoþor" and "hlūd," which concern sound and loudness, through a common ancestor meaning "to hear." This link is a different root, so readers should treat it as a parallel rather than the same lineage.

Synonyms: flexible, supple, graceful, agile, limber

Antonyms: stiff, rigid, awkward, clumsy, ungraceful