Nimble

How to spell nimble

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce nimble

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does nimble mean?

1. adjectiveQuick and light in movement, or quick and sharp in thinking.

Nimble in a sentence

• The dancer stayed remarkably nimble even after the long rehearsal.

• A nimble mind helped her solve the accounts puzzle in minutes.

Where does nimble come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word reaches back to the Old English næmel, meaning 'quick to take hold' or 'capable of grasping', which was built on the verb niman, 'to take or seize'. The original sense was about the mind and hands being quick to catch or grab something, and it later broadened into the idea of light, fast, agile movement of the whole body. The most curious thing about the spelling is the letter b: it was not there in the early forms and crept in during the late Middle Ages, an intrusive consonant that English speakers inserted to ease the transition between the m and the l. The very same thing happened in 'thimble' and 'bramble', which is why all three carry a silent-looking b. That inserted b is the spelling trap, since the word is pronounced as if it read 'nimmle', yet the b must be written.

How the word is built

• nim- (from Old English niman: to take or grasp)
• -ble (intrusive b plus -le, forming the adjective)