Definition of NIMBLE

Examples of nimble in a Sentence

possessing a nimble wit, he always has a cutting comeback for any intended insult thrown his way
her nimble fingers make knitting look so easy

Recent Examples of nimble from the Web

Germany’s Lufthansa is considering stretching out deliveries of Boeing’s new 777X aircraft, concerned about the cost and size of the big jet as the aviation industry shifts to smaller, more nimble planes.

— julie johnsson, The Seattle Times, "Lufthansa weighs slowing deliveries of 777X, which would be blow to Boeing", 1 June 2017
In fact, the global energy industry—which has been known for its penchant for decades-long planning and pervasive resistance to change—has become one of the nimblest, fastest, and most innovative industries around.

— eric roston, Bloomberg.com, "The U.S. Is The Loser as Trump Dumps the Climate Accord", 1 June 2017
Programming will also aim to reflect a more nimble MoMA, with galleries turning over more often, museum officials said, trying to elevate collection shows to the level of loan exhibitions.

— robin pogrebin, New York Times, "MoMA’s Makeover Rethinks the Presentation of Art", 1 June 2017
But the example of his nimble intelligence and zestful audacity affected the sense of vocation—thoughts and motives, doubts and dreams—of subsequent generations, to this day.

— peter schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "The Audacity of Robert Rauschenberg", 29 May 2017
His nimble work on the Hammond B3 organ helped the Allman Brothers become a national phenomenon in the early 1970s, when their improv-heavy concerts packed stadiums and often lasted more than three hours.

— harrison smith, Washington Post, "Gregg Allman, Southern rock heavyweight of Allman Brothers fame, dies at 69", 27 May 2017
This was poetry in motion, Davis sustaining an unmistakable line even amid fleetly nimble passagework.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Saxophonist Chico Freeman upholds noble family traditions", 26 May 2017
In a world of ever more varied, nimble, and ubiquitous computing, bloatware is dead.

— wired staff, WIRED, "83 Reasons Why Bill Gates’s Reign Is Over", 1 Dec. 1998

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

Origin and Etymology of nimble

Middle English nimel, from Old English numol holding much, from niman to take; akin to Old High German neman to take, Greek nemein to distribute, manage, nomos pasture, nomos usage, custom, law

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

nimble Synonyms

nimble