svelte

adjective

ˈsvelt 

ˈsfelt

svelter; sveltest

1

a

: slender, lithe

b

: having clean lines : sleek

2

: urbane, suave

sveltely adverb

svelteness noun

Did you know?

Svelte came to us, by way of French, from Italian svelto, which itself comes from the Italian verb svellere, meaning "to pluck out" or "to pull or stretch out." In English svelte has been used since the early 19th century to describe a slender appearance, as in A.B. Granville's 1838 description of a countess who was "tall, svelte, pale, and interesting." By the 20th century, English speakers had stretched the word's meaning to suggest an urbane or suave nature—as poet Ezra Pound did when he described "svelte Verona," a city he visited in north Italy.

Common Misspelling(s)

svelt

Synonyms

• bony
• boney
• fatless
• lean
• lithe
• skinny
• slender
• slim
• spare
• thin

Examples of svelte in a Sentence

She has a svelte figure.

the svelte dancer seemed to float across the stage

Recent Examples on the Web

In similar archaeological and historical studies in the Faroe Islands, the relatively svelte pilot whale dominated. —Andrew Chapman, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024

Many other city services will be privatized, adhering to a vision articulated by organizers to maintain as svelte of an operation as possible. —Rick Rojas, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

svelte

adjective

ˈsfelt 

: slender and graceful in form

sveltely adverb

svelteness noun

Etymology

from French svelte "slender, sleek," from Italian svelto (same meaning), derived from svellere "to pluck out," derived from Latin evellere "to pluck"