limpid

adjective

lim·​pid ˈlim-pəd 

1

a

: marked by transparency (see transparent sense 1) : pellucid

limpid streams

b

: clear and simple in style

limpid prose

2

: absolutely serene and untroubled

the benign effects of a limpid childhood

—Time

limpidity

lim-ˈpi-də-tē 

noun

limpidly

ˈlim-pəd-lē 

adverb

limpidness noun

Did you know?

Let's clarify a few things about limpid. Since the early 1600s, this word has been used in English to describe things that have the soft clearness of pure water. The aquatic connection is not incidental; language scholars believe that limpid probably traces to lympha, a Latin word meaning "water." (That same Latin root is also the source of the English word lymph, the term for the pale liquid that helps maintain the body's fluid balance and that removes bacteria from tissues.) While limpid was used originally to describe liquids free of visible, cloudy material, it didn't take long for the word to gain its figurative sense of "clear and simple in style." And despite its similarity to the unrelated adjective limp—which can be used to describe writing, for example, that lacks spirit or oomph—limpid carries no such negative connotations.

Synonyms

• clear
• crystal
• crystal clear
• crystalline
• liquid
• lucent
• pellucid
• see-through
• transparent

Choose the Right Synonym for limpid

clear, transparent, translucent, limpid mean capable of being seen through.

clear implies absence of cloudiness, haziness, or muddiness.

clear water

transparent implies being so clear that objects can be seen distinctly.

a transparent sheet of film

translucent implies the passage of light but not a clear view of what lies beyond.

translucent frosted glass

limpid suggests the soft clearness of pure water.

her eyes were limpid pools of blue

Examples of limpid in a Sentence

the limpid waters of the stream

her eyes are the blue of a limpid stream of water

Recent Examples on the Web

The clarinettist Matic Kuder, another recent addition to the ranks, enlivened both the symphony and the concerto with limpid, puckish solos. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

In Myers’s limpid translation, The Brush feels like a fresh discovery thanks to its narrative range, which insists on exploring both an intimate relationship that’s wrenched apart and the much larger ecosystem in which the separation occurs. —The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024

Olsen, meanwhile, finds subtle ways to suggest that Christina’s limpid, clear-eyed warmth and positivity are attempts to compensate for all sorts of insecurity. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024

The movie’s opulent sets and Giuseppe Rotunno’s limpid cinematography transmit a palpable yearning for the gilded palaces and gala balls of a bygone era. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

French or Latin; French limpide, from Latin limpidus, perhaps from lympha water — more at lymph

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

limpid

adjective

lim·​pid ˈlim-pəd 

: perfectly clear : transparent

limpid streams

limpidity

lim-ˈpid-ət-ē 

noun

limpidly

ˈlim-pəd-lē 

adverb

limpidness noun