svelte

[ svelt, sfelt ]

adjective

, svelt·er, svelt·est.

1. slender, especially gracefully slender in figure; lithe.
2. suave; blandly urbane.

svelte

/ sfɛlt; svɛlt /

adjective

1. attractively or gracefully slim; slender
2. urbane or sophisticated

Word History and Origins

Origin of svelte¹

1810–20; < French < Italian svelto < Vulgar Latin *exvellitus pulled out (replacing Latin ēvulsus, past participle of ēvellere ), equivalent to Latin ex- ex- ¹ + velli-, variant stem of vellere to pull, pluck + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of svelte¹

C19: from French, from Italian svelto, from svellere to pull out, from Latin ēvellere, from ex- ¹+ vellere to pull

Example Sentences

It’s a svelte, melodic style of dance music pitched between European deep house, jazzy R&B and local styles like kwaito and gqom.

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s very cool,” Winter said, adding that the bird seemed graceful as a ballerina, “the most aloof, elegant, svelte creature ever.”

From Los Angeles Times

The purrgil scene also features Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano and the character’s svelte, fast-rotating starship above the planet of Seatos.

From Los Angeles Times

Here, we have an Easter family portrait published by Donald Trump Jr. The former president’s grandchildren are admittedly adorable, dressed in their Sunday best—never mind those truly bizarre balloon-animal effigies of their patriarch—but the star of the show is Trump himself, standing between his heirs, looking considerably svelte.

From Slate

The downsides: It’s hard to fit ice cubes in the opening, and the svelte bottles are less visible carried inside a backpack.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• graceful
• lithe
• slender