1
: easily bent or flexed
lithe steel
a lithe vine
2
: characterized by easy flexibility and grace
a lithe dancer
treading with a lithe silent step
also
: athletically slim
the most lithe and graspable of waists —
R. P. Warren
R. P. Warren
lithely
adverb
litheness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of lithe in a Sentence
the lithe body of a dancer
the lithe blade of a fencing foil
Recent Examples on the Web
Crimson liquid drips from the dancers’ fingers; lithe electronic-acoustic music and vocals soundtrack this interpretation of how blood—represented here as both a literal life force and the figurative pulse of the earth—flows through the female spirit.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Nearly 20 years ago, when Efron shimmied his way into public consciousness as Troy Bolton, the lithe heartthrob of Disney’s High School Musical, his bright-eyed, puppy-dog appeal and nimble dance moves clinched his teen-idol fame.
—Beatrice Loayza, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2024
The 507 was envisioned by its American importer, Max Hoffman, who encouraged BMW to pull the big V8 out of its large and lumpy executive sedans and wrap it in a lithe sports car body.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2024
Here, accompanied by hints of intake rush, the little Roadster simply scoots down the road, almost lithe in its simplicity yet requiring a deft hand to pilot smoothly.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lithe 
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Nearly 20 years ago, when Efron shimmied his way into public consciousness as Troy Bolton, the lithe heartthrob of Disney’s High School Musical, his bright-eyed, puppy-dog appeal and nimble dance moves clinched his teen-idol fame.
—Beatrice Loayza, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2024
The 507 was envisioned by its American importer, Max Hoffman, who encouraged BMW to pull the big V8 out of its large and lumpy executive sedans and wrap it in a lithe sports car body.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2024
Here, accompanied by hints of intake rush, the little Roadster simply scoots down the road, almost lithe in its simplicity yet requiring a deft hand to pilot smoothly.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lithe
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lithe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lithe
Cite this Entry
“Lithe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lithe. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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