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limpid

adjective
lim·​pid | \ ˈlim-pÉ™d How to pronounce limpid (audio) \

Definition of limpid

1a : marked by transparency (see transparent sense 1) : pellucid limpid streams
b : clear and simple in style limpid prose
2 : absolutely serene and untroubled the benign effects of a limpid childhood — Time
Other Words from limpid Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about limpid

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Other Words from limpid

limpidity \ lim-​ˈpi-​dÉ™-​tÄ“ How to pronounce limpidity (audio) \ noun
limpidly \ ˈlim-​pÉ™d-​lÄ“ How to pronounce limpidly (audio) \ adverb
limpidness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for limpid

clear, transparent, translucent, limpid mean capable of being seen through. clear implies absence of cloudiness, haziness, or muddiness. clear water transparent implies being so clear that objects can be seen distinctly. a transparent sheet of film translucent implies the passage of light but not a clear view of what lies beyond. translucent frosted glass limpid suggests the soft clearness of pure water. her eyes were limpid pools of blue

Did You Know?

Since the early 1600s, "limpid" has been used in English to describe things that have the soft clearness of pure water. The aquatic connection is not incidental; language scholars believe that "limpid" probably traces to "lympha," a Latin word meaning "water." That same Latin root is also the source of the word lymph, the English name for the pale liquid that helps maintain the body's fluid balance and that removes bacteria from tissues.

Examples of limpid in a Sentence

the limpid waters of the stream her eyes are the blue of a limpid stream of water

Recent Examples on the Web

 At the edges of the ice sheet, that translates to gushing rivers and limpid blue pools of meltwater dotting the ice’s surface. — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, "A heat wave is turning Greenland’s ice to slush. That's bad news.," 1 Aug. 2019 In summer our city is deserted and seems very large, clear and echoing, like an empty city-square; the sky has a milky pallor, limpid but not luminous; the river flows as level as a street and gives off neither humidity nor freshness. — Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, "Rediscovering Natalia Ginzburg," 22 July 2019 Karl had a beard and a monocle, double-breasted suits, and then in his close friend the limpid-eyed, elegant, and aristocratic Jacques de Bascher a man whom Proust himself could have fallen for. — Kennedy Fraser, Vogue, "From the Archives: Karl Lagerfeld, The Impresario," 19 Feb. 2019 Amid all the authoritative aspects of SFB’s limpid dancing, Sasha De Sola’s wondrous performance of the central of the dance’s five leading women deserves special mention. — Robert Greksovic, WSJ, "Dance as the Heart of the City," 7 Nov. 2018 Of the women featured here, one debut shone happily as Unity Phelan made gossamer work of the limpid choreography’s classical challenges. — Robert Greskovic, WSJ, "Personnel Changes and Premieres," 9 Oct. 2018 Throughout, The Staircase maintains a limpid clarity that leaves open the possibility of both Michael Peterson’s perfect innocence and total complicity, which puts the viewer in the awful, fugue-like gray area of constant reckoning. — Sonia Saraiya, HWD, "Review: Whether Old or New, The Staircase Offers No Easy Answers," 8 June 2018 The Rockets have taken the Warriors-style three-point attack to a higher level, and have stiffened their once-limpid defense. — Scott Ostler, San Antonio Express-News, "By no means invincible, Golden State faces rocky path to Finals," 13 Apr. 2018 For his part, Rose led a buoyant and fluid performance from the pit, drawing limpid playing from the orchestra right up through Joan’s final ascension to heaven — one last time for 2017-18. — Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "Odyssey wraps its Joan of Arc season with Verdi rarity," 8 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'limpid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of limpid

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for limpid

French or Latin; French limpide, from Latin limpidus, perhaps from lympha water — more at lymph

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More Definitions for limpid

limpid

adjective
How to pronounce limpid (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of limpid

literary
: perfectly clear
: clear and simple in style

See the full definition for limpid in the English Language Learners Dictionary

limpid

adjective
lim·​pid | \ ˈlim-pÉ™d How to pronounce limpid (audio) \

Kids Definition of limpid

: perfectly clear limpid water

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More from Merriam-Webster on limpid

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for limpid

Spanish Central: Translation of limpid

Nglish: Translation of limpid for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of limpid for Arabic Speakers

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