lithe

[ lahyth ]
/ laɪð /

adjective, lith·er, lith·est.

bending readily; pliant; limber; supple; flexible: the lithe body of a ballerina.
Also lithe·some [lahyth-suh m] /ˈlaɪð səm/.

Origin of lithe

before 900; Middle English lith(e), Old English līthe; cognate with Old Saxon līthi, German lind “mild,” Latin lentus “slow”

OTHER WORDS FROM lithe

lithe·ly, adverb lithe·ness, noun

Example sentences from the Web for lithe

British Dictionary definitions for lithe

lithe
/ (laɪð) /

adjective

flexible or supple

Derived forms of lithe

lithely, adverb litheness, noun

Word Origin for lithe

Old English (in the sense: gentle; C15: supple); related to Old High German lindi soft, Latin lentus slow