WORD OF THE DAY: LISSOME
Adjective: LISS-um
WHAT IT MEANS
Lissome is an adjective used to describe someone or something characterised by easy flexibility and grace.
// He grew up wanting to emulate the lissome skaters he saw competing on television with all their acrobatic leaps and twirls.
LISSOME IN CONTEXT
“A lissome figure in a sleek black unitard, he is a solitary presence in front of the glowing, fiery red visuals being projected on-screen.” — Mary Brennan, The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), 30 Aug. 2026
DID YOU KNOW?
Lissome (less commonly spelled lissom) is a gently altered form of its synonym, lithesome. While lissome tends to be the more popular choice these days, the two words have similar pasts. They both appeared in the 18th century, and they both trace back to the much older lithe, which first appeared in English during the 14th century and comes from an Old English word meaning “gentle.” Lissome most often describes bodies and their movements as graceful and flexible, but it is also frequently used to characterise nimble singing voices, writing styles, guitar playing, and more.
Merriam Webster Dictionary
