sprier or spryer
ˈsprī(-ə)r 
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
: 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 Kauffmann
Stanley KauffmannMatthew is getting up in years, you know—he's sixty—and he isn't so spry as he once was.—Charles Keller
Charles Keller
spryly
adverb
… hopping spryly onto a treadmill.
—Heather King
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
Giovanni Russonello
spryness
noun
… he still has a boyish spryness although he's in his late forties.
—Adam Mars-Jones
Adam Mars-Jones
Examples of spry in a Sentence
an older woman who's still surprisingly spry
Recent Examples on the Web
Van Dyke clearly has done something right, making it to 99 years old and staying spry enough to attend buzzy charity galas and become a verified gym bro.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
At least part of how Dick has kept himself spry through his 90s is with frequent trips to the gym.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
The shyness could play a factor in one of the reasons why the spry pup is still under the care of the shelter.
—Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
But McCaffrey looked spry as usual to begin his ninth NFL season, tallying 69 rushing yards on 22 carries while catching nine passes from Purdy for 73 yards.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spry
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Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
At least part of how Dick has kept himself spry through his 90s is with frequent trips to the gym.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
The shyness could play a factor in one of the reasons why the spry pup is still under the care of the shelter.
—Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
But McCaffrey looked spry as usual to begin his ninth NFL season, tallying 69 rushing yards on 22 carries while catching nine passes from Purdy for 73 yards.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spry
Cite this Entry
“Spry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spry. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spry
adjective
sprier or spryer
ˈsprī(-ə)r
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
spryly
adverb
spryness
noun
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