limpid

adjective

lim·​pid ˈlim-pəd 

1

a

: marked by transparency (see transparent sense 1) : pellucid

limpid streams

b

: clear and simple in style

limpid prose

2

: absolutely serene and untroubled

the benign effects of a limpid childhood

—Time

limpidity

lim-ˈpi-də-tē 

noun

limpidly

ˈlim-pəd-lē 

adverb

limpidness noun

Did you know?

Since around 1600, 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.

Synonyms

• clear
• crystal
• crystal clear
• crystalline
• liquid
• lucent
• pellucid
• see-through
• transparent

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

Fez was a man of few words, and the actor’s performance had a consistent stillness to it; his limpid, gentle gaze often did the talking for him. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2023

Their inclusion suggests a concession to those experiencing smartphone withdrawal (phone camera photography is mostly useless here, a small blessing), as if Sakamoto’s limpid playing was somehow not enough of a gift. —Max Lakin, New York Times, 25 June 2023

The sense of how places, cities, architecture and cultural mores shape and change people over time is deeply embedded in the limpid cinematography of Shabier Kirchner (who shot Steve McQueen’s Small Axe films), its naturalistic gaze somehow managing to be both detached and intimate. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2023

Floors of white terrazzo and ceilings of blonde pine create warm, limpid spaces within. —Mark Lamster, Dallas News, 21 Mar. 2023

Renzo Piano’s building, with its open, limpid spaces, is an ideal complement to Bertoia’s work, and the curators have done well in presenting the work in a straightforward, unfussy manner, on white plinths and pedestals. —Dallas News, 7 Feb. 2022

There are magical beaches around here, from the limestone stacks of Bwanna in the south-west to the semi-lagoon of Mandorak in the far west and the Pero estuary, where the fishermen’s wooden outrigger canoes congregate in limpid waters. —Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 June 2022

Countertenor Hugh Cutting was a discovery, threading his limpid voice through an intricate emotional topography. —Vulture, 8 Apr. 2022

But the limpid-toned soprano went solo at 19, pursuing her own version of Western pop-soul, often with English lyrics. —Chris Richards, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

limpid

adjective

lim·​pid ˈlim-pəd 

: perfectly clear : transparent

limpid streams

limpidity

lim-ˈpid-ət-ē 

noun

limpidly

ˈlim-pəd-lē 

adverb

limpidness noun