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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In many of these songs, the bassline is the true star, svelte and muscular like an Olympic athlete. Elias Leight, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2024 Hailed as one of the more elegant flats of the group, this pair from Sarah Flint features a svelte, pointed-toe box, a minuscule heel, and a small leather bow that ties the whole look together. Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024 Page, the brand's design director, helped launch the svelte Continental more than 20 years ago, elevating Bentley to cool status among wealthy motorists and enthusiasts. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for svelte 

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 13 Nov. 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!