nimble
adjective
\
\;
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
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from nimble
\
noun
\
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, half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain (or lamebrained), lunkheaded, mindless, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, stupid, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of nimble in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The same tight go-kart course that tripped up the Expedition gave the nimble X2 a huge advantage. — Tom Voelk, New York Times, "26 Vehicles Played in the Mud. Here’s the Dirt.," 12 July 2018 But Jones – just four years removed from trying to prove himself on the short tracks – still loves racing the lighter, more nimble cars in big events. — Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Erik Jones could have celebrated his first NASCAR Cup win all night, but the Slinger Nationals were calling," 10 July 2018 The company's chief executive, Tim Ellis, told SpaceNews, the Pentagon favors nimble suppliers that can manufacture products fast. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: Japanese rocket blows up, NASA chief ponders purpose of SLS," 6 July 2018 Brazil’s government has given Embraer relative freedom, standing back as the company purchased most of its parts from foreign players and announced heavy layoffs in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to remain nimble. — Samantha Pearson And Jeffrey Lewis, WSJ, "Boeing-Embraer Deal Faces Political Backlash in Brazil," 6 July 2018 After nearly three decades in the music industry, the group proved its vitality through airtight harmonies and nimble dance moves. — Brandon T. Harden, Philly.com, "Jill Scott, Boyz II Men deliver sizzling homecoming performances at WDAS Summer Block Party," 1 July 2018 Supposedly invulnerable businesses are challenged by nimble upstarts with disruptive ideas. — Jeff Jacoby, BostonGlobe.com, "Don’t break up Google — the market will sort everything out," 14 June 2018 In the early days of drone use, filmmakers quickly realized how useful these nimble devices were for close-up action shots. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "How Drones Are Revolutionizing the Way Film and Television Is Made," 31 May 2018 No amount of nimble iteration or cool new features can bridge a gap of trust. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "The never-ending Destiny 2 controversy is a teachable moment for the game industry," 30 Mar. 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
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
\
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on nimble
What made you want to look up nimble? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
-
- Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
A mythological/etymological mashup!
Take the quiz -
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
Take the quiz -
Citation
Do you know the person or title these quotes describe?
Play the game
Share nimble
Resources for nimble