lithe
/laɪð/adjective, verb, noun
lithe is spelled L-I-T-H-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,192nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, lithe means “Slim but not skinny” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in lithe?
| Letters | 5: L-I-T-H-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 54,192nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is lithe?
Lithe appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,192nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce lithe?
- /laɪð/
Lithe has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-lithe.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of lithe
- lither comparative
- lithest superlative
- lithes present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- lithing participle, present
- lithed participle, past
- lythe
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lithe mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
obsoleteMild; calm.
lithe weather
- 2
Slim but not skinny.
lithe body
- 3
Capable of being easily bent; flexible.
the elephant’s lithe trunk.
- 4
Adaptable.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo attend; listen, hearken.
- 2
To listen to, hearken to.
- 3
obsoleteTo become calm.
- 4
obsoleteTo make soft or mild; soften; alleviate; mitigate; lessen; smooth; palliate.
- 5
archaicto thicken (gravy, etc.)
lithe 'to thicken soups, sauces, etc.'
noun
- 1
ScotlandShelter.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lithe in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | ruhig, mild , schlank , elastisch |
| Portuguese | calmo, tranquilo |
| French | svelte, élancé , souple |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does lithe come from?
From Middle English lithe, from Old English līþe (“gentle, mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *linþ(ī), from Proto-Germanic *linþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lentos. Akin to Saterland Frisian lied (“thin, skinny, gaunt”), Danish, Dutch, and archaic German lind (“mild”). Some sources also list Latin lenis (“soft”) and/or Latin lentus (“supple”) as possible cognates.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).