nim·ble
| \ ˈnim-bəl
\
\
nimbler\
ˈnim-b(ə-)lər
\; nimblest\
ˈnim-b(ə-)ləst
\
\; nimblest\
ˈnim-b(ə-)ləst
\
Definition of nimble
1
: quick and light in motion : agile
nimble fingers a nimble climber
2a
: marked by quick, alert, clever conception (see conception sense 3), comprehension (see comprehension sense 1a), or resourcefulness
a nimble mind nimble investors
b
: responsive, sensitive
a nimble listener nothing like playacting to make you nimble in your feelings— Mary Austin
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Other Words from nimble
nimbleness
\
ˈnim-bəl-nəs
\
noun
\
noun
nimbly
\
ˈnim-blē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for nimble
Synonyms
- alert,
- brainy,
- bright,
- brilliant,
- clever,
- exceptional,
- fast,
- hyperintelligent,
- intelligent,
- keen,
- quick,
- quick-witted,
- sharp,
- sharp-witted,
- smart,
- supersmart,
- ultrasmart
Antonyms
- airheaded,
- birdbrained,
- boneheaded,
- brain-dead,
- brainless,
- bubbleheaded,
- chuckleheaded,
- dense,
- dim,
- dim-witted,
- doltish,
- dopey
- (also dopy),
- dorky
- [slang],
- dull,
- dumb,
- dunderheaded,
- empty-headed,
- fatuous,
- gormless
- [chiefly British],
- half-witted,
- knuckleheaded,
- lamebrain
- (or lamebrained),
- lunkheaded,
- mindless,
- obtuse,
- opaque,
- pinheaded,
- senseless,
- simple,
- slow,
- slow-witted,
- soft,
- softheaded,
- stupid,
- thick,
- thickheaded,
- thick-witted,
- unbrilliant,
- unintelligent,
- unsmart,
- vacuous,
- weak-minded,
- witless
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 on the Web
With every market disruption and industry shift, opportunities will emerge for the organizations that are nimble enough to recognize and act quickly.
—
Ayman Sayed, Fortune, "COVID has revealed the essential value of the digital ‘pivot’," 27 Apr. 2021
The video is truly remarkable, especially Santana, who plays the guitar with his nimble, man jewelry-laden fingers.
—
Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Carlos Santana Circa Y2K Is My Man Crush Forever," 27 Apr. 2021
Yet the company proved, in this unfamiliar space, nimble as ever.
—
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, "Review: L.A. gets its live opera back. What POP proved on an outdoor stage near Highland Park," 26 Apr. 2021
And while its sweeping wing system, which adjusted automatically for optimal performance at any speed or altitude, made the big, heavy fighter surprisingly nimble, there was more to the F-14 than fancy wings.
—
Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, "Why the F-14 Tomcat Is Such a Badass Plane," 29 Mar. 2021
Gary, a more nimble forward at 6-foot-6, made his second-ever start and played a career-high 25 minutes.
—
Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, "‘It’s winning time:’ Nate Oats explains tweak to starting lineup," 27 Mar. 2021
Despite weighing 5627 pounds—755 pounds more than a nonhybrid X5 xDrive40i—the plug-in version is surprisingly composed and nimble.
—
Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, "Tested: 2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e Prioritizes Quickness and Range," 23 Mar. 2021
The Model 42, a .410 version of the Model 12 that’s light and nimble, was built in 1933.
—
John Gordon, Outdoor Life, "3 Shotguns That Defined the Early 20th Century (and One That Was an Absolute Blunder)," 22 Mar. 2021
It’s one of his most exciting and nimble verses to date and marks a sea-change for the infamous Drake co-sign.
—
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, "Is Drake Trying to Tell Us Something?," 10 Mar. 2021
See MoreThese 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.
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Last Updated
1 May 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Nimble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nimble. Accessed 9 May. 2021.
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More Definitions for nimble
nimble
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of nimble
: able to move quickly, easily, and lightly
: able to learn and understand things quickly and easily
See the full definition for nimble in the English Language Learners Dictionary
nimble
adjective
nim·ble
| \ ˈnim-bəl
\
\
nimbler; nimblest
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Time Traveler for nimble
The first known use of nimble was in the 14th century
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