limped; limping; limps
1
a
: to walk with an uneven and usually slow movement or gait
especially
: to walk favoring one leg
The injured player limped off the field.
b
: to go unsteadily : falter
After which the conversation limped for some time …—
Henry Green
Henry Green2
: to proceed slowly or with difficulty
The ship limped back to port.
limper
noun
plural limpers
: an uneven movement or gait : a favoring of one leg while walking
1
a
: lacking firm texture, substance, or structure
limp curtains
her hair hung limp about her shoulders
b
: not stiff or rigid
a book in a limp binding
2
b
: lacking in strength, vigor, or firmness : spiritless
limply
adverb
limpness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of limp in a Sentence
Verb
The injured player limped off the court.
The dog was limping slightly.
The damaged ship limped back to port.
The company has somehow managed to limp along despite the bad economy.
Noun
We noticed that the dog was walking with a slight limp.
Adjective
He gave me a very limp handshake.
This plant isn't doing well—look how limp the leaves are.
Her hair hung limp around her shoulders.
I suddenly went limp and collapsed on the floor.
He was limp with fatigue.
Recent Examples on the WebDavid Faris, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
Macron’s centrist alliance limped into third place.
—Dan Balz, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
CBS News, 6 July 2024
At some point during the escape, Johnson hurt his leg, leaving him with a bad limp, according to the police press release.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 6 July 2024
Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 10 July 2024
Fact is, Terry Kiser, who plays the corpse, does a great job of going limp or stiff as the occasion demands and manages to subtly change the frozen expression on his face from scene to scene.
—Ralph Novak, Peoplemag, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for limp 
Verb
While the Phillies are getting reinforcements back in the form of All-Stars Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, the Dodgers are limping their way to the All-Star break.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
Macron’s centrist alliance limped into third place.
—Dan Balz, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Noun
Update: Johnson has a bad limp and an injury to his right leg that occurred during the escape (Pictured on the...
Posted by Claiborne County Sheriff Department on Friday, July 5, 2024
The jail is in Port Gibson, about 60 miles (96.6 kilometers) southwest of Jackson.
—CBS News, 6 July 2024
At some point during the escape, Johnson hurt his leg, leaving him with a bad limp, according to the police press release.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 6 July 2024
Adjective
Sunlight shifts and power rays can burn leaves while drafty AC registers can make leaves go limp.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 10 July 2024
Fact is, Terry Kiser, who plays the corpse, does a great job of going limp or stiff as the occasion demands and manages to subtly change the frozen expression on his face from scene to scene.
—Ralph Novak, Peoplemag, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for limp
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'limp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near limp
Cite this Entry
“Limp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limp. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
limp
1 of 3 verb1
: to walk with difficulty due to physical impairment
2
: to go slowly or with difficulty
limp
2 of 3 noun
: a limping movement or gait
walked with a limp
limp
3 of 3 adjective1
: not firm or stiff
limply
adverb
limpness
noun
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