lisp

verb \ ˈlisp \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

Examples: lisp in a Sentence

Definition of lisp

lisped; lisping; lisps

intransitive verb

1 : to pronounce the sibilants \s\ and \z\ imperfectly especially by turning them into \th\ and \t͟h\

2 : to speak falteringly, childishly, or with a lisp

transitive verb

: to utter falteringly or with a lisp

—

lisper

noun

See lisp defined for kids

Recent Examples of lisp from the Web

Paul Shaffer cackled from behind a keyboard in shades; baritoned redhead Alan Kalter introduced guests; there were videos of stupid pet tricks and a befuddled, lisping Larry Bud Melman.

— john clarke, HWD, "Bill Murray Stole the Show as David Letterman Accepted the Mark Twain Prize," 23 Oct. 2017
Cera is also doing a fun lisping impression of Brando while ponderously spouting off garbled nods to the actor’s filmography.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Twin Peaks: 20 Easter Eggs, References, and Callbacks You Might Have Missed," 23 May 2017
One of the little girls handed her a copy to inscribe and lisped her name.

— mary norris, The New Yorker, "A Day in Hiram," 2 Feb. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of lisp

Middle English, from Old English -wlyspian; akin to Old High German lispen to lisp

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

lisp

noun

Definition of lisp

1 : a speech defect or affectation characterized by lisping

2 : a sound resembling a lisp

See lisp defined for English-language learners

Examples of lisp in a Sentence

He spoke with a lisp.

Recent Examples of lisp from the Web

No, those bewigged, Georgia-era fops didn’t speak with a lisp.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "His name was ‘Alexander Hamilton.’ New exhibits recount his words and deeds.," 27 June 2018
Standing in front of the small crowd, Greiner would have been in her late 20s, with hooded eyes, blonde hair, and a faint British accent masked by a lisp.

— caroline lester, The Atlantic, "What Happens When Your Bomb-Defusing Robot Becomes a Weapon," 26 Apr. 2018
Only the most hardcore Stranger Things fans among us might remember the scene in the very first episode where Dustin defends himself against school bullies making fun of his toothless lisp.

— carolyn l. todd, SELF, "'Stranger Things' Star Gaten Matarazzo Shares What Life Is Like With His Rare Bone Disorder," 26 Jan. 2018
Flopsy has a lisp, which makes her painfully self-conscious and kind of indignant at the same time.

— margot robbie, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Fashion Tale of Peter Rabbit," 18 Jan. 2018
Swift donned some heavy metal orthodontic gear and a horrible lisp in this clip to point out parents' horrible driving habits, like lecturing while driving and trying to grab a purse from the backseat while behind the wheel.

— allison stubblebine, Billboard, "Taylor Swift's 5 Best Moments on 'Saturday Night Live'," 30 Oct. 2017
Dustin Henderson: Mike’s adorable friend who has a lisp because of cleidocranial dysplasia. Lucas Sinclair: Another friend of the group who is the most skeptical of everything.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Everything You Need to Remember From Stranger Things Season One," 25 Oct. 2017
The villain was literally Samuel Jackson playing Russell Simmons, right down to the lisp.

— jason johnson, The Root, "Kingsman: The Golden Circle Turns the Drug War Into the Opioid Crisis for White America," 22 Sep. 2017
Yes, Biggie had a lisp and slurred — speech impediments that should have ensured that he’d be laughed out of early freestyle competitions, let alone be a viable candidate for a record contract.

— lorraine ali, latimes.com, "A&E documentary 'Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.' takes a fascinating — and authorized — look at the rapper's too-short story," 3 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of lisp

circa 1625

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

LISP

noun \ ˈlisp \

Definition of LISP

: a computer programming language that is designed for easy manipulation of symbols that represent data and instructions and is used extensively for work in artificial intelligence