svelte

svelte

adj \ˈsvelt, ˈsfelt\

svelt·ersvelt·est

Definition of SVELTE

1

a : slender, lithe b : having clean lines : sleek

2

: urbane, suave

— svelte·ly adverb

— svelte·ness noun

Examples of SVELTE

1. She has a svelte figure.
2. <the svelte dancer seemed to float across the stage>

Origin of SVELTE

French, from Italian svelto, from past participle of svellere to pluck out, modification of Latin evellere, from e- + vellere to pluck — more at vulnerable

First Known Use: circa 1817

Related to SVELTE

Synonyms: bony (also boney), fatless, lean, lithe, skinny, slender, slim, spare, thin

Antonyms: chubby, corpulent, fat, gross, obese, overweight, plump, portly, rotund, tubby

Related Words: clean-limbed, trim; sylphlike, willowy; angular, rawboned, scraggy, scrawny, sinewy, wiry; lank, lanky, rangy, reedy, spindling, spindly, stringy, twiggy, waspish, weedy; anorectic (also anoretic), anorexic, cadaverous, emaciated, gaunt, haggard, pinched, skeletal, wasted, wizened; meager (or meagre), puny, slight

Near Antonyms: beefy, bulky, chunky, fleshy, heavy, heavyset, stocky, stout, thick, thickset, weighty; brawny, burly, husky; dumpy, pudgy, roly-poly, squat, stubby; paunchy, potbellied; flabby, soft; buxom, zaftig (also zoftig); fleshed-out, full, hippy, round

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with SVELTE

belt, celt, Celt, delt, felt, gelt, melt, pelt, smelt, spelt, veld, welt