VocabauraVOCABAURA

limp

verb · noun · adjective

Simple meaning

To walk lamely, as if favoring one leg.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

limp
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈlɪmp

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. intransitive

    To walk lamely, as if favoring one leg.

  2. intransitivefigurativeof a vehicle

    To travel with a malfunctioning system of propulsion.

  3. intransitivefigurative

    To move or proceed irregularly.

noun

  1. An irregular, jerky or awkward gait.

  2. A scraper of board or sheet-iron shaped like half the head of a small cask, used for scraping the ore off the sieve in the operation of hand-jigging.

  3. A scraper for removing poor ore or refuse from the sieve.

adjective

  1. Physically weak.

  2. Lacking stiffness; floppy, flimsy.

  3. Flaccid; flabby, resembling flesh.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To walk lamely, as if favoring one leg.

Used this way, limp is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use limp

  • “The boat limped into the harbor.”verb

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “limp”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Walk

limp body

Scraper

limp handlimp leather

Other combinations

cloth limpslight limphanging limplimp alonglimp form

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “limp” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.