Lithe means moving in a smooth, graceful, and flexible way. A gymnast bending and twisting through a floor routine is lithe. A cat stretching and leaping from the floor to a countertop moves with lithe elegance.

The word describes bodies that bend and flow easily, without stiffness or awkwardness. A lithe dancer seems to pour from one position to another like water. A lithe basketball player weaves through defenders with fluid, effortless movement.

While flexible simply means you can bend, lithe suggests something more: a combination of flexibility, grace, and ease. You might describe a ballet dancer, a martial artist, or even a willow tree bending in the wind as lithe. The word often appears in descriptions of athletes, dancers, or wild animals like panthers and deer, whose bodies move with natural, flowing coordination.