limp

limp
[[t]lɪ̱mp[/t]]
limps, limping, limped, limper, limpest
1) VERB If a person or animal limps, they walk with difficulty or in an uneven way because one of their legs or feet is hurt.

I wasn't badly hurt, but I injured my thigh and had to limp...

[V adv/prep] He had to limp off with a leg injury.

N-COUNT: usu a N in sing
Limp is also a noun.

A stiff knee following surgery forced her to walk with a limp.

2) VERB If you say that something such as an organization, process, or vehicle limps along, you mean that it continues slowly or with difficulty, for example because it has been weakened or damaged.

[V adv/prep] In recent years the newspaper had been limping along on limited resources...

[V adv/prep] A British battleship, which had been damaged severely in the battle of Crete, came limping into Pearl Harbor.

3) ADJ-GRADED If you describe something as limp, you mean that it is soft or weak when it should be firm or strong.

She was told to reject applicants with limp handshakes...

A residue can build up on the hair shaft, leaving the hair limp and dull looking.

Derived words:
limply ADV-GRADED ADV with v

Flags and bunting hung limply in the still, warm air.

4) ADJ-GRADED If someone is limp, their body has no strength and is not moving, for example because they are asleep or unconscious.

He carried her limp body into the room and laid her on the bed...

He hit his head against a rock and went limp.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • limp — limp·er; limp·ing·ly; limp·kin; limp·ly; limp·ness; limp·sy; limp·en; limp; limp·sey; …   English syllables

  • limp — limp, floppy, flaccid, flabby, flimsy, sleazy mean deficient in firmness of texture, substance, or structure and therefore unable to keep a shape or in shape. Limp applies to something that lacks or has lost the stiffness or firmness necessary to …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • limp — limp1 [limp] vi. [ME lympen < OE limpan, to befall, occur (in a specialized sense, to walk lamely), akin to MHG limpfen, to walk with a limp, OHG limfan, to befall, happen < IE * (s)lemb < base * leb , to hang down, be limp > SLUMP,… …   English World dictionary

  • Limp — (l[i^]mp), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Limped} (l[i^]mt; 215); p. pr. & vb. n. {Limping}.] [Cf. AS. lemphealt lame, OHG. limphen to limp, be weak; perh. akin to E. lame, or to limp, a [root]120.] To halt; to walk lamely. Also used figuratively. Shak.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Limp — Limp, a. [Cf. Icel. limpa limpness, weakness, and E. lap, n., lop, v. t. Cf. {Limber}, a.] 1. Flaccid; flabby, as flesh. Walton. [1913 Webster] 2. Lacking stiffness; flimsy; as, a limp cravat. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • limp — [adj] not stiff; weak bending, debilitated, drooping, droopy, ductile, enervated, exhausted, feeble, flabby, flaccid, flexible, flexuous, flimsy, floppy, impressible, infirm, languid, languishing, lax, lethargic, limber, listless, loose, plastic …   New thesaurus

  • limp — Ⅰ. limp [1] ► VERB 1) walk with difficulty because of an injured leg or foot. 2) (of a damaged ship or aircraft) proceed with difficulty. ► NOUN ▪ a limping gait. ORIGIN related to obsolete limphalt «lame». Ⅱ …   English terms dictionary

  • Limp — Limp, n. A halt; the act of limping. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Limp — Limp, n. (Ore Washing) A scraper for removing poor ore or refuse from the sieve. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • limp|sy — «LIHMP see», adjective. Dialect. limp …   Useful english dictionary

  • Limp — est une distribution Linux LiveCD qui permet de transformer votre PC en lecteur multimédia dédié. Voir aussi Liste des LiveCD Lien externe (en) Site officiel …   Wikipédia en Français

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