Nimbly
What it means
With quick, light, and skillful movement or thought.
Reach for it when describing a quick and skilful movement or adjustment
She nimbly revised the route when the bridge closed.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
Fits when speed is all the sentence needs
Careful Quickly does not promise lightness, accuracy, or adaptation.
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professional
Fits when skill and precision matter more than speed
Careful Deft action may be slow and carefully planned.
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professional
flexibly
Fits when willingness to adapt is the point
Careful Flexible behavior may be deliberate and slow.
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professional
Fits when a transition avoids disruption
Careful Smoothness can come from preparation without quick adjustment.
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formal
adroitly
Fits when clever handling of a difficult situation deserves praise
Careful Adroitly is formal and often figurative rather than physical.
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formal
agilely
Fits when controlled quick movement is the literal point
Careful The rare adverb sounds technical and awkward in ordinary praise.
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literary
lightly
Fits when little force or weight characterizes movement
Careful Lightly can mean gently or unseriously rather than skilfully.
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literary
Fits when rapid completion creates the effect
Careful Swiftness alone can be clumsy or poorly judged.
Opposites 3
- clumsily
- slowly
- rigidly
Common phrases 3
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move nimbly
The rescue dog can move nimbly across broken ground.
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respond nimbly
Small suppliers often respond nimbly to unusual requests.
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nimbly avoid
She nimbly avoided the false choice in the question.
Word family 2
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated