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
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 Web
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
While some dogs might yelp or limp after being bitten, others might become slightly more sluggish and require closer inspection.
—Caleb Lunetta, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
One group pulled the body of young boy from the rubble, his body limp and his face bloodied.
—Kareem Khadder and Dana Karni, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
All thanks to a blend of omegas 3, 6, and 9, which target dry, limp strands and restore hair’s lipid barrier for a plumped, voluminous curl pattern.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for limp
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Down to their last outs in the ninth, right-hander Daniel Palencia made quick work of Colorado to earn the save and send the Rockies limping to Queens for a three-game series against the Mets starting on Friday.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
While some dogs might yelp or limp after being bitten, others might become slightly more sluggish and require closer inspection.
—Caleb Lunetta, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Noun
Calla Fuqua, 28, from Baltimore, Maryland, has left people in stitches with a video of 5-year-old cat Ashlyn Rose pulling off a remarkably convincing limp.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
One group pulled the body of young boy from the rubble, his body limp and his face bloodied.
—Kareem Khadder and Dana Karni, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Bacchus, bone-dry, slumps in the center of a stagnant green pool clutching fistfuls of limp grapes; none of the fountains is turned on.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
All thanks to a blend of omegas 3, 6, and 9, which target dry, limp strands and restore hair’s lipid barrier for a plumped, voluminous curl pattern.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for limp
Cite this Entry
“Limp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limp. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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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