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
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The officers ran out and one appeared to limp out.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Most of the old ex-players wore frumpy jackets and walked with limps.
—Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
First responders found Campbell, limp, pale and unresponsive in Kurek's vehicle.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for limp
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Verb
Barkley pulled up limping after an explosive 28-yard run with less than 10 seconds left in the quarter and immediately went to the blue medical tent for further evaluation.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The officers ran out and one appeared to limp out.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
When the rescue first brought him in, staff members were concerned by his limp, but Soy Sauce’s charm and resilience quickly shone through.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Most of the old ex-players wore frumpy jackets and walked with limps.
—Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Police said that minutes later, Karschnick is seen swaddling the baby and taking her out of the crib, but the infant continues crying and screaming, and her arm looks limp, per the complaint cited by WBAY.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
First responders found Campbell, limp, pale and unresponsive in Kurek's vehicle.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 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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