limpid

play

adjective lim·pid \ˈlim-pəd\

Definition of limpid

1a : marked by transparency (see transparent 1) : pellucid limpid streamsb : clear and simple in style limpid prose
2 : absolutely serene and untroubled the benign effects of a limpid childhood — Time

limpidity

play \lim-ˈpi-də-tē\ noun

limpidly

play \ˈlim-pəd-lē\ adverb

limpidness

noun

See limpid defined for English-language learners

See limpid defined for kids

limpid was our Word of the Day on 09/26/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of limpid in a Sentence

the limpid waters of the stream
her eyes are the blue of a limpid stream of water

Recent Examples of limpid from the Web

Ditto eyes: Smith spills plenty of ink on her characters’ limpid, luminous irises.

— julia felsenthal, Vogue, "Before There Was Twilight, Harry Potter, and Goop-Approved Crystals, There Was The Secret Circle", 19 June 2017
Lacking energy and forward motion, the work’s limpid simplicity soon lost its ability to hold attention.

— marcus overton, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra plays Mozart and Strauss without conductor", 16 June 2017
If water sports are your thing, head to the famously limpid waters between and around the islands.

— jennifer ladonne, CNN, "Cannes day trips: The island retreats of Îles de Lérins", 24 May 2017
Burton Watson, whose spare, limpid translations, with erudite introductions, opened up the world of classical Japanese and Chinese literature to generations of English-speaking readers, died on April 1 in Kamagaya, Japan.

— william grimes, New York Times, "Burton Watson, 91, Influential Translator of Classical Asian Literature, Dies", 3 May 2017
One of the broad-minded music club’s classical highlights this week is a tribute to the distinctive American composer, known for the limpid delicacy of his style.

— The New Yorker, "National Sawdust: “Harold Meltzer @ 50”", 26 Mar. 2017
Feng gave us more of his gorgeous, limpid tones in his encore, the Largo from J.S. Bach’s Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005.

— paul hodgins, Orange County Register, "Pacific Symphony celebrates its inner Scots", 3 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'limpid'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Since the early 1600s, "limpid" has been used in English to describe things that have the soft clearness of pure water. The aquatic connection is not incidental; language scholars believe that "limpid" probably traces to "lympha," a Latin word meaning "water." That same Latin root is also the source of the word lymph, the English name for the pale liquid that helps maintain the body's fluid balance and that removes bacteria from tissues.

Origin and Etymology of limpid

French or Latin; French limpide, from Latin limpidus, perhaps from lympha water — more at lymph

NEW!

First Known Use: 1609

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of limpid

clear, transparent, translucent, limpid mean capable of being seen through. clear implies absence of cloudiness, haziness, or muddiness. clear water transparent implies being so clear that objects can be seen distinctly. a transparent sheet of film translucent implies the passage of light but not a clear view of what lies beyond. translucent frosted glass limpid suggests the soft clearness of pure water. her eyes were limpid pools of blue