\ ˈlimp 
\
\limped; limping; limps
Definition of limp
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a : to walk lamely especially : to walk favoring one leg The injured player limped off the field.
b : to go unsteadily : falter the conversation limped for some time— Henry Green
2 : to proceed slowly or with difficulty
the ship limped back to port
limp
nounDefinition of limp (Entry 2 of 3)
: a limping movement or gait
limp
adjectiveDefinition of limp (Entry 3 of 3)
1a : lacking firm texture, substance, or structure
limp curtains her hair hung limp about her shoulders
b : not stiff or rigid
a book in a limp binding
b : lacking in strength, vigor, or firmness : spiritless
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Synonyms & Antonyms for limp
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Adjective
Antonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of limp in a Sentence
Verb
The injured player limped off the court.
The dog was limping slightly.
The damaged ship limped back to port.
The company has somehow managed to limp along despite the bad economy. Noun
We noticed that the dog was walking with a slight limp. Adjective
He gave me a very limp handshake.
This plant isn't doing well—look how limp the leaves are.
Her hair hung limp around her shoulders.
I suddenly went limp and collapsed on the floor.
He was limp with fatigue.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The Cobras finally limp out of the LaRusso home, not entirely defeated but certainly chastened.
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Brian Moylan, Vulture, "Cobra Kai Season-Finale Recap: O Holy Fight," 4 Jan. 2021 That was before he was began to limp shortly after Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins came running off the sideline to jump into the crowd of teammates celebrating the touchdown.
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Safid Deen, sun-sentinel.com, "Dolphins to place receiver Preston Williams on injured reserve with foot injury," 11 Nov. 2020 Plunkett managed to limp back to Palermo, saw action in Normandy on D-Day and ended her war in the Pacific.
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Bartle Bull, WSJ, "‘Unsinkable’ Review: Set Ablaze, Still Fighting," 16 Dec. 2020 With the Ravens nearing a do-or-die fourth-and-5 at the two-minute warning, Jackson had jogged onto the field only after seeing third-string quarterback Trace McSorley limp off with a knee injury.
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Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "Lamar Jackson returns from cramps to throw late TD, Justin Tucker hits 55-yard field goal to lift Ravens over Browns, 47-42," 15 Dec. 2020 Yet any of these pretenders could limp off with the division crown.
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Barry Wilner, Star Tribune, "Halfway through NFL season, uncertainty reigns off the field," 11 Nov. 2020 While the Hokies limp to the end of the regular season, the Tigers will be looking to put an exclamation point on every win from here on out in order to secure a spot in the playoff.
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Erick Smith, USA TODAY, "Five biggest questions for Week 14 in college football," 3 Dec. 2020 Williams then appeared to limp several times in the end zone after.
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Safid Deen, sun-sentinel.com, "Dolphins’ Preston Williams leaves Cardinals game with foot injury; defense comes through again with touchdown," 8 Nov. 2020 Across the street, a Trump flag hung limp on a fence.
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Los Angeles Times, "Voter voices: Here’s why these Americans are casting their ballots," 3 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun No, a limp to the sideline to visit the trainer and watch the punter take over on the field.
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Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "This was Detroit Lions' most-2020 game; thank goodness it's over," 26 Dec. 2020 He was also born with a toe missing from his right foot and does walk with a hard-to-perceive limp.
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jsonline.com, "11 animal personalities you have to meet at the Milwaukee County Zoo," 23 Dec. 2020 Forget the limp, bristly, oversalted anchovies of bad Caesar salads and worse pizzas.
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Benjamin Kemper, WSJ, "Dinner From a Can, No Apologies," 17 Dec. 2020 The robber also walks with a limp in his right leg and speaks with a deep voice.
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NBC News, "Masked 'Too Tall Bandit' robs another Southern bank in string of 16 suspected heists," 3 Dec. 2020 But as the years passed, old age came along and replaced Jaspie’s brisk but waddling walk with a limp.
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Arkansas Online, "OPINION | DEBRA HALE-SHELTON: The honesty that aging requires," 20 Dec. 2020 At the months-long retrial, Yoon's lawyers argued that their client -- who was a 22-year-old, uneducated repairman with a limp from childhood polio when he was arrested -- was coerced by police into confessing.
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Julia Hollingsworth, Yoonjung Seo And Jake Kwon, CNN, "South Korean man cleared of killing teenager after spending 20 years in jail for her murder," 17 Dec. 2020 Still, Michelle said, the buck had no limp, and no obvious signs of injury.
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Will Brantley, Field & Stream, "Our 21 Favorite Trail Camera Photos," 10 Dec. 2020 While the mother was able to protect herself, the chick was prematurely forced out of the nest and left on the ground with a limp.
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Jesse Klein, Wired, "Severe Wildfires Are Devastating the California Condor," 11 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Others lay limp over rocks like sacrificial victims.
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Maciek Pożoga, Smithsonian Magazine, "What Japan’s Wild Snow Monkeys Can Teach Us About Animal Culture," 5 Jan. 2021 Soggy, limp potatoes are just the opposite: sad and unappealing.
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Washington Post, "How to make crispy, golden potatoes, every time," 18 Dec. 2020 Michigan State’s limp offense did not challenge the Buckeyes over the top the way Indiana and others have.
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Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Ohio State football’s Haskell Garrett keeps surprising, starring at Michigan State: Nathan Baird’s observations," 6 Dec. 2020 The video showed Pasero pulling the limp Koffi from the driver’s seat to the asphalt road, as Koffi slowly moved around.
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Matthias Gafni, SFChronicle.com, "YouTube engineer pleads no contest in LSD-fueled rampage in Bodega Bay, returns to work after surviving police shooting," 3 Dec. 2020 And here, again, was the writer’s room, a too-small rectangle cluttered with water bottles, colored pencils and limp backpacks.
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New York Times, "How Nick Kroll Became the Picasso of Puberty," 3 Dec. 2020 Both hamburgers had their problems, such as a slightly dry bun and semi-limp bacon.
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Phillip Valys, sun-sentinel.com, "Show us your buns: How does Culver’s stack up against McDonald’s and Wendy’s?," 10 Nov. 2020 She is allegedly then seen carrying the boy back to the hotel, wet and limp.
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Steve Helling, PEOPLE.com, "After Allegedly Drowning Her Son, Florida Mom Found in Lake Repeating, 'God Forgive Me'," 17 Sep. 2020 That bath will revive any greens that were starting to turn limp, and the water will let any dirt or gritty residue float to the bottom of the spinner.
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oregonlive, "10 kitchen tools essential for pandemic cooking: 2020 gift guide," 18 Nov. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'limp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for limp
limp
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of limp
(Entry 1 of 3)
: to walk in a slow and awkward way because of an injury to a leg or foot
: to go or continue slowly or with difficulty
limp
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of limp (Entry 2 of 3)
: a slow and awkward way of walking caused by an injury to a leg or foot
limp
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of limp (Entry 3 of 3)
: having an unpleasantly soft or weak quality : not firm or stiff
: feeling very tired
See the full definition for limp in the English Language Learners Dictionary
limp
verb\ ˈlimp \
\limped; limping
Kids Definition of limp
(Entry 1 of 3)
: to walk in a slow or uneven way because of an injury to a foot or leg
… Shiloh's up limping around on his bad leg.— Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh
limp
nounKids Definition of limp (Entry 2 of 3)
: a slow or uneven way of walking caused by an injury to a leg or foot
limp
adjectiveKids Definition of limp (Entry 3 of 3)
: not firm or stiff
The limp plants needed water.
limp
intransitive verb\ ˈlimp \
\Medical Definition of limp
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to walk lamely especially : to walk favoring one leg
2 : to go unsteadily
limp
nounMedical Definition of limp (Entry 2 of 2)
: a limping movement or gait
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Comments on limp
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Time Traveler for limp
The first known use of limp was circa 1570
See more words from the same year