lithesome means characterised or marked by litheness; pliant, limber, nimble, lissom.
lithesome is pronounced /ˈlaɪðsəm/.
Why “lithesome” is a great word
Characterized by a pliant, limber, and gracefully nimble physicality, from Middle English *lithsum*, equivalent to lithe (from Old English līþe, meaning "gentle, mild, pliant") + -some (a suffix forming adjectives meaning "characterized by"). Unlike "lissom," which suggests a slender elegance, or "nimble," which prizes quick agility, lithesome speaks to an inherent, yielding flexibility of form. It is the willow branch bending to the wind without breaking, the uncoiling of a cat stretching in a sunbeam, the effortless arc of a diver cleaving the water's surface—a quiet triumph of suppleness over the world's rigid angles.
Etymology
From Middle English lithsum, equivalent to lithe + -some. Doublet of lissom.
adj
- Characterised or marked by litheness; pliant, limber, nimble, lissom.
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