nimble

/ˈnɪmbəl/

/ˈnɪmbəl/

Other forms: nimbler; nimblest

If you're nimble, you can move quickly and with ease. That spryness can be both physical and mental, so even if your granny isn't very nimble on her feet, she can probably still whip you in chess.

A toddler might recognize the word nimble from the nursery rhyme: "Jack be nimble / Jack be quick / Jack jump over / The candlestick," but may not be nimble enough to deduce the meaning. Nimble, from the 14th century Old English næmel, meaning "quick to grasp," can refer to one's mental quickness or physical agility.

Definitions of nimble

1. adjective

   moving quickly and lightly
   “as nimble as a deer”

   “nimble fingers”

   synonyms: agile, quick, spry

   active

   characterized by energetic activity
2. adjective

   mentally quick
   “nimble wits”

   synonyms: agile

   intelligent

   having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree