Make Your Point: LITHE

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pronounce LITHE:

LITHE.

It rhymes with "blithe" and "tithe."

connect this word to others:

Someone lithe is lean, limber, supple, flexible, graceful, and l_ss___.

Can you recall that last synonym? It means "able to move in an easy, flexible, graceful way," and it arose as a variant of lithesome, an alternate form of lithe.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Lithe" comes from Old English and first meant "meek, gentle," then "mellow," "serene," and finally "limber, flexible, and graceful," the meaning we use today.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "a lithe dancer," "His movements are lithe."

Other forms:

The adverb is "lithely," as in "The cats slunk lithely past."

And the noun is "litheness," as in "I admire cats' litheness."

how to use it:

"Lithe" is formal and semi-common, with a positive tone. Pick it to describe people, animals, and things that move (or seem to move) with beauty, control, and smoothness.

You might talk about lithe dancers, cats, vehicles, or shadows. Or talk about people's lithe steps, stretches, and other movements.

examples:

"I saw a cat slide through the connection leading to the big top—it was a panther, and as its lithe black body disappeared into the canvas tunnel I braced myself."
— Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants, 2006

"Automotive journalists love station wagons. It’s in our DNA. There’s something about their lithe forms, their dorky reputation, and their functional interiors that elicits emotional sighs from anyone who covers the auto industry professionally."
— Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 6 March 2018

has this page helped you understand "lithe"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "lithe" without saying "graceful" or "flexible."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Some character or real person) is lithe, built like (a dancer, a jockey, a cat, a fox, or some other gracefully moving type of person or animal)."

Example 1: "Rue is tiny and lithe, built like a hummingbird."

Example 2: "Inej was lithe, all muscle and fine bones, built like an acrobat."
— Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows, 2016

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April: Word Choice Chuckles!

I'll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with a word or phrase removed. See if you can fill one in that'll give the reader a chuckle. (Here are some examples.) Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Try this one today:

"The science behind airplane deicing – a mechanical engineer explains how chemistry and physics make flying a more _____ experience"
— Andrew Sommers, The Conversation, 28 February 2025

Meaning of the missing word: "joyful."

To see one possible answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. One opposite of LITHE is

A. SLIM.
B. CLUMSY.
C. FORGETFUL.

2. You're most likely to read about a lithe _____.

A. poem
B. tiger
C. wardrobe

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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