spry

adjective

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\ ˈsprī

sprier or spryer\ ˈsprī(-ə)r

\; spriest or spryest\ ˈsprī-əst

Definition of spry

: able to move quickly, easily, and lightly : nimble sense 1 —used especially to describe an older person a spry 75-year-old… his spry libidinous grandfather …— Stanley KauffmannMatthew is getting up in years, you know—he's sixty—and he isn't so spry as he once was.— Charles Keller

Other Words from spry Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about spry

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Other Words from spry

spryly adverb

… hopping spryly onto a treadmill. — Heather King Then there's his trumpet playing, which he still does spryly at the age of 82, with its dusty allure intact. — Giovanni Russonello

spryness noun

… he still has a boyish spryness although he's in his late forties. — Adam Mars-Jones

Examples of spry in a Sentence

an older woman who's still surprisingly spry

Recent Examples on the Web But, in terms of Twilight’s narrative framework, Edward is meant to be a spry 104, since Meyers’ novel debuted in 2005. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "A Pressing Investigation: Who Is Older — Teen Vampire Edward Cullen Or Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes?," 25 Mar. 2021 Meanwhile, Lynn, at a spry 88, sounds as sharp and loose as ever. — Alex Suskind, EW.com, "Friday Five: Loretta Lynn pays tribute, Steve Aoki's adult contemporary phase, and more," 20 Mar. 2021 The Truffle Hunters follows several of the oldest of these men — like Carlo, the impish 88-year-old who sneaks out a window to go truffling, and Aurelio, who is a spry 84. — Helen Shaw, Vulture, "The Truffle Hunters Heads for the Hills and Returns With a Feast for the Senses," 3 Mar. 2021 Dillermand, who is middle-aged, lives with his remarkably spry great-grandmother (oldemor, in Danish), and retains the worldview of a young boy. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, "The Problem With This Kids’ Show Isn’t Just the Giant Penis," 26 Feb. 2021 Two days after she was extended to three intense sets and more than two hours by Aryna Sabalenka, Williams, 39, was spry enough to outrun and outlast Halep, who is 10 years younger. — New York Times, "Serena Williams, Refreshed and Rolling, Sets Up Showdown With Osaka," 16 Feb. 2021 Stafford was still a spry 30-year-old with so much great football left in him, while Brady was a fading, 40-year-old quarterback playing on his last legs. — Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press, "Yes, Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions should split. Too bad he already screwed it up," 27 Jan. 2021 The Nuggets were more spry on the boards, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, snatching up seven more in the first five minutes of the third quarter, and finishing with 23 total. — Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah Jazz find a way to fight through low-energy slog and beat Denver for a fifth straight win," 17 Jan. 2021 Smith's spry routes and displays of force Sunday signaled his return to form after missing three of the previous four games to injuries. — Andrew Krammer, Star Tribune, "Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. returns, complements offense," 16 Dec. 2020

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