What does lissome mean?
Lissome means supple, flexible, and graceful, particularly in the way a person or body moves. It suggests lightness and ease rather than mere physical flexibility: a lissome dancer, for example, appears to move with an effortless flow. The adjective is often used in literary descriptions of bodies, limbs, movement, and figures, giving these contexts a refined or poetic quality. In modern English it is relatively uncommon, but it remains a vivid alternative to words such as “supple,” “lithe,” and “graceful.” Its principal implication is controlled, elegant movement, making it especially appropriate for dance, sport, performance, and artistic description.
adjectiveSupple and flexible, especially in movement; graceful and lithe. The word is often used to describe a person’s body or limbs.
- Supple, flexible, and graceful in movement
- Describing a body or form that is slender and lithe
"The dancer moved across the stage with lissome, effortless grace."
"Her lissome figure turned the simple movement into a moment of quiet beauty."
"The athlete's lissome training made every movement look controlled and natural."
Lissome is the literary word for a body that seems to bend and move with effortless, flowing grace.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lissome come from?
Lissome developed from the obsolete English word “liss,” meaning flexible or limber, with the suffix “-ome.” The older word is related to Latin lissus, meaning smooth or slippery, which is also associated with the root represented in English by “lax.” In later usage, the word shifted from describing physical flexibility toward emphasizing graceful, lithe movement.
Related word forms
How lissome is actually used
Chiefly literary and poetic, especially when describing the body, limbs, or movement. It has an elegant, slightly elevated tone and is less common in everyday speech.
Easily confused with lissome
Lissome describes something supple or graceful in movement, whereas a Lissajous curve is a mathematical figure formed by two perpendicular sinusoidal motions.