# nimble

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈnɪmbl̩/ · frequency rank #26,524

## Definitions
1. Adept at taking or grasping.
2. Quick and light in movement or action.
3. Quickwitted and alert.

## Etymology
From Middle English nymyl, nemel, nemyll, nymell (“agile, quick, ready, able, capable”), merger of Old English nǣmel (“receptive, quick to grasp”) and Old English numol (“able to take, capable of holding”), both from niman (“to take”) + -el, -ol (associative suffix), corresponding to nim + -le. Compare German nehmen, Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (niman), Old Norse nema (“to take”). More at nim.

## Easily confused with
- **noble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nimble-vs-noble)
- **nipple** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nimble-vs-nipple)
- **nimbus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nimble-vs-nimbus)
- **Nile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nile-vs-nimble)
- **Nicole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nicole-vs-nimble)
- **nibble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nibble-vs-nimble)
- **nibbles** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nibbles-vs-nimble)

## Common misspellings (9)
`inmble`, `nibmle`, `nimbble`, `nimbel`, `nimblle`, `nimlbe`, `nimmble`, `nmible`, `nnimble`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nimble