svelte

adjective

ˈsvelt How to pronounce svelte (audio)
ˈsfelt
svelter; sveltest
1
a
b
: having clean lines : sleek
2
sveltely adverb
svelteness noun

Did you know?

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

She has a svelte figure. the svelte dancer seemed to float across the stage
Recent Examples on the Web Maybe a pair of children or a particularly svelte, enamored couple might have a go at sharing the bed, but otherwise the Camp 2 might be more of a three-person than a proper four-sleeper. New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2024 Available to stream on Max Before Sunset Year: 2004 Run Time: 80 minutes Director: Richard Linklater The second film in Richard Linklater’s Before series, Before Sunset clocks in at a svelte 80 minutes. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2024 The film’s synopsis reads, After dreaming in Latin, a successful manager decides to ditch his career and glamorous wife, in exchange for books and stargazing, while the beautiful seamstress Elisabet cuts a surprisingly svelte path. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2024 That's svelte compared with most video editors, which often tip the scales at over a gigabyte. PCMAG, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for svelte 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'svelte.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian svelto, from past participle of svellere to pluck out, modification of Latin evellere, from e- + vellere to pluck — more at vulnerable

First Known Use

circa 1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of svelte was circa 1817

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near svelte

Cite this Entry

“Svelte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/svelte. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

svelte

adjective
: slender and graceful in form
sveltely adverb
svelteness noun
Etymology

from French svelte "slender, sleek," from Italian svelto (same meaning), derived from svellere "to pluck out," derived from Latin evellere "to pluck"

More from Merriam-Webster on svelte

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!