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In Death on the Rocks, a 2013 mystery novel by Deryn Lake, the hero John Rawlings is described as having “svelte eyebrows” (he raises them also in 1995’s Death at the Beggar’s Opera). Lake’s oeuvre notwithstanding, svelte is not an adjective commonly applied to eyebrows, though it’s perfectly appropriate to do so—one of the word’s meanings is “sleek,” and it is often used to describe such disparate things as gowns and sports cars having clean lines. But “svelte eyebrows” also makes etymological sense; svelte came to English (by way of French) from the Italian adjective svelto, which itself comes from the verb svellere, meaning “to pluck out.” Since its debut in English in the early 19th century, however, svelte has more often been used with its original meaning to describe a person’s body—not just the tufts of hair above their eyes—as slender, graceful, or lithe.
Examples of svelte in a Sentence
Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
Right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio, now a relatively svelte 320 pounds, reported losing 11 pounds of fat and gaining seven pounds of muscle.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
The key here is extensive use of lightweight aluminum and composite components that hold their curb weights down to a svelte 2,000 pounds, which itself is about the weight of a Ford F-150 Lightning EV’s battery pack alone.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Nena Farrell The Best Smart Rings to Rule Them All
A svelte smart ring can track important health metrics and doesn't need to be charged every day.
—Nena Farrell, Wired News, 28 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Svelte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/svelte. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
from French svelte "slender, sleek," from Italian svelto (same meaning), derived from svellere "to pluck out," derived from Latin evellere "to pluck"
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