agile

agile, nimble, brisk, spry mean acting or moving with quickness and alacrity.

Agile implies dexterity and ease in the management of one’s limbs or, by extension, one’s wits

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agile as a monkey

}

{

in a flow of racy comment, skimming from one topic to another with an agile irrelevance— Rose Macaulay

}

Nimble suggests surpassing lightness and swiftness of movement or action, and often implies a darting here and there

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nimble as a squirrel

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{

Madame Defarge knitted with nimble fingers— Dickens

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nimble feet scudding over the springy turf— Webb

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Brisk implies liveliness, animation, or vigor of movement

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a brisk canter

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a brisk walking pace

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to have brisk and intelligent talk— Benson

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It is sometimes applied to things that do not move but are invigorating or exhilarating

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brisk day

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{

brisk reply

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{

she walked briskly in the brisk air— George Eliot

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Spry stresses alacrity arising from vigor or health; however it is frequently applied to those from whom alacrity or briskness of movement is not to be expected

{

the old lady is as spry as a cricket

}

{

she is down one day, and up and spry the next

}

Analogous words: *dexterous, adroit, deft: quick, fleet, speedy (see FAST): limber, lithesome, *supple: *lively, sprightly

Antonyms: torpid

Contrasted words: *lethargic, sluggish, comatose: inert, *inactive, passive, supine