limp

1 of 3

verb

ˈlimp 

limped; limping; limps

intransitive verb

1

a

: to walk with an uneven and usually slow movement or gait

especially : to walk favoring one leg

The injured player limped off the field.

b

: to go unsteadily : falter

After which the conversation limped for some time …

—Henry Green

2

: to proceed slowly or with difficulty

The ship limped back to port.

limper noun

plural limpers

limp

2 of 3

noun

: an uneven movement or gait : a favoring of one leg while walking

limp

3 of 3

adjective

1

a

: lacking firm texture, substance, or structure

limp curtains

her hair hung limp about her shoulders

b

: not stiff or rigid

a book in a limp binding

2

a

: weary, exhausted

limp with fatigue

b

: lacking in strength, vigor, or firmness : spiritless

limply adverb

limpness noun

Synonyms

Verb

• halt
• hobble

Adjective

• droopy
• flaccid
• floppy
• lank
• yielding

Examples of limp in a Sentence

Verb

The injured player limped off the court.

The dog was limping slightly.

The damaged ship limped back to port.

The company has somehow managed to limp along despite the bad economy.

Noun

We noticed that the dog was walking with a slight limp.

Adjective

He gave me a very limp handshake.

This plant isn't doing well—look how limp the leaves are.

Her hair hung limp around her shoulders.

I suddenly went limp and collapsed on the floor.

He was limp with fatigue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Even with that strong stretch, Golden State lost the frame 25-15. Andrew Wiggins, who scored 11 first-half points, limped to the locker room two minutes into the second half. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024

At the vacant lot on a recent morning, Lara limped to the driver’s side of the bed truck, which has a cracked windshield. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

Noun

George walked out of the locker room Wednesday night with a moderate limp. —Tony Jones, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024

After a week of limited participation in practice nursing an ankle injury, Jones returned to the field after halftime with a pronounced limp. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Four days later, Dibble’s daughter found her limp, blue in the face, not breathing. —J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 7 Dec. 2024

Balloons for Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Greg Heffley and Toys R Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe were spotted looking slightly limp, while Snoopy and One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy had noticeably droopy hats. —Kate Hogan, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably from Middle English lympen to fall short; akin to Old English limpan to happen, lemphealt lame

Adjective

akin to limp entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1818, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing limp

• limp-wristed

Kids Definition

limp

1 of 3 verb

ˈlimp 

1

: to walk with difficulty due to physical impairment

2

: to go slowly or with difficulty

limp

2 of 3 noun

: a limping movement or gait

walked with a limp

limp

3 of 3 adjective

1

: not firm or stiff

2

: weary entry 1 sense 1, exhausted

limply adverb

limpness noun

Medical Definition

limp

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈlimp 

1

: to walk lamely

especially : to walk favoring one leg

2

: to go unsteadily

limp

2 of 2 noun

: a limping movement or gait