variants
also lissom
1
as in graceful
moving easily
the lissome actress's dance training is apparent in the way she moves on stage
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flexible
able to bend easily without breaking
rattan is such a lissome material that it can be used for all manner of furniture and baskets
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Recent Examples of lissome
The lissome little murder mystery retails for $15 and totals 100 pages.
—
Hannah Natanson, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Dec. 2022
Jack collected lissome locks of women’s pubic hair.
—Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021
The 5000 has one of the most lissome combinations of ride and handling of any car on the road; the 4000, however, is less smooth and less graceful.
—Steve Smith, Car and Driver, 14 Aug. 2020
Coming on the heels of a few years of public disintegration, he’d been humbled, or wished to appear that way: a handed-the-world boy forced to disavow the person fame had turned him into, singing lissome songs of apology.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2020
One of my more luminous memories of that odd year, 1974, was a dance performed in Central Park in New York by three long and lissome non-pregnant maidens in white gauze gym suits.
—Charles McCabe, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 June 2018
Hannah Natanson, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Dec. 2022
Jack collected lissome locks of women’s pubic hair.
—Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021
The 5000 has one of the most lissome combinations of ride and handling of any car on the road; the 4000, however, is less smooth and less graceful.
—Steve Smith, Car and Driver, 14 Aug. 2020
Coming on the heels of a few years of public disintegration, he’d been humbled, or wished to appear that way: a handed-the-world boy forced to disavow the person fame had turned him into, singing lissome songs of apology.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2020
One of my more luminous memories of that odd year, 1974, was a dance performed in Central Park in New York by three long and lissome non-pregnant maidens in white gauze gym suits.
—Charles McCabe, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lissome
Adjective
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The graceful coupe mixed style—just look at those gullwing doors—and performance like few cars before it, and few cars since.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
9 Mar. 2026
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Then the graceful roll of the ball with his studs smoothly took him past another two to shoot at goal.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The borrowers — mostly smaller companies that banks would consider too risky or complex for a traditional loan — pay a higher interest rate in exchange for quick access to capital and flexible financing terms.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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The stretchable electrolyte can also be used in flexible batteries for medical applications.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Moss-colored chaise longues in the living area, piled with pillows and wool blankets, are perfectly positioned to take in the view, as are the four-poster beds with wool-blend mattresses and willowy gauzy curtains.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
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Given the differences in Western and Eastern beauty standards, and the realities of setting a romance in the hockey world, neither Shane nor Ilya fit the mold of BL’s feminine, willowy bishonen.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The bucket, which appears to be a plastic jack-o'-lantern, may seem like a laughing matter to some, but not Karen Bloch.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Cover the container loosely with plastic wrap or a plastic bag to hold in moisture.—
Holly McNamara,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Two ultra-limber actors — Hassiem Muhammad and Ryan Sellers — in garish body makeup (and dance shoes) merge limbs and psyches for an electric demonstration of poetry in motion.—
Peter Marks,
Washington Post,
26 Jan. 2023
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For thousands of years, people have turned to yoga to feel more limber, release stress and rejuvenate their overall physical and mental health.—
Forrest Brown,
CNN,
21 June 2022
Adjective
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But whether that would make Tehran more pliant, let alone spur regime change, is questionable.—
Ramin Mostaghim,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Expect someone more pliant to become the next Fed chair.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Masri’s drumming is lithe and spacious even at its most aggressive; just as Alcorn’s guitar slides move with a gravity-defying, naturalistic force, his attacks seem to sprout out of each other independently, emerging in thickets.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
4 Mar. 2026
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These two lithe, blithe creatures introduced themselves.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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From late Qing reformers inspired by Athenian citizenship to nationalists who draw on Plato to bolster China’s political ideology, Bartsch shows how supple ancient texts are in the hands of interpreters.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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An angular bangle from 1975 designed by textile artist Kim Naver, for example, is exhibited with one of her tapestries, while the supple form of a 1963-era brooch by designer Nanna Ditzel is echoed in one of her chairs nearby.—
Katherine McGrath,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lissome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lissome. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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