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In Death on the Rocks, a 2013 mystery novel by Deryn Lake, the hero John Rawlings is described as having “svelte eyebrows” (he raises them also in 1995’s Death at the Beggar’s Opera). Lake’s oeuvre notwithstanding, svelte is not an adjective commonly applied to eyebrows, though it’s perfectly appropriate to do so—one of the word’s meanings is “sleek,” and it is often used to describe such disparate things as gowns and sports cars having clean lines. But “svelte eyebrows” also makes etymological sense; svelte came to English (by way of French) from the Italian adjective svelto, which itself comes from the verb svellere, meaning “to pluck out.” Since its debut in English in the early 19th century, however, svelte has more often been used with its original meaning to describe a person’s body—not just the tufts of hair above their eyes—as slender, graceful, or lithe.
Synonyms
Examples of svelte in a Sentence
Elias Leight, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2024
Hailed as one of the more elegant flats of the group, this pair from Sarah Flint features a svelte, pointed-toe box, a minuscule heel, and a small leather bow that ties the whole look together.
—Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Page, the brand's design director, helped launch the svelte Continental more than 20 years ago, elevating Bentley to cool status among wealthy motorists and enthusiasts.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2024
Maybe a pair of children or a particularly svelte, enamored couple might have a go at sharing the bed, but otherwise the Camp 2 might be more of a three-person than a proper four-sleeper.
—New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near svelte
Cite this Entry
“Svelte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/svelte. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
from French svelte "slender, sleek," from Italian svelto (same meaning), derived from svellere "to pluck out," derived from Latin evellere "to pluck"
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