Link Centre Dictionary

limp

UK/lɪmp/ US/ˈlɪmp/ fairly common slang
adjective (2) verb (2) noun (1)

adjective

1.

lacking in strength or firmness or resilience

  • “flaccid muscles”
  • “took his lax hand in hers”
  • “gave a limp handshake”
  • “a limp gesture as if waving away all desire to know”
  • “a slack grip”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

not firm

  • “wilted lettuce”
Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.

walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury

  • “The old woman hobbles down to the store every day”
Synonyms
2.

proceed slowly or with difficulty

  • “the boat limped into the harbor”

noun

1.

the uneven manner of walking that results from an injured leg

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English limpen (“to fall short”), from Old English limpan, from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”). Cognate with Low German lumpen (“to limp”), Middle High German limpfen (“to hobble, limp”), dialectal German lampen (“to hang down loosely”), Icelandic limpa (“limpness, weakness”).

Phrases

  • Alexandra limp
  • Alexandrian limp
  • limp dick
  • limp in
  • limp of the wrist
  • limping iamb

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.