limp

Imagine someone trying to walk after twisting an ankle: one step is normal, but the next is shorter and careful because it hurts. That uneven way of walking is to limp. It means walking with difficulty because of pain, injury, or weakness in a leg or foot. The word also describes something that has lost its firmness, like lettuce left too long in the fridge or a flower drooping in a vase.

You might see an athlete limp off the field after a hard tackle, or notice a flag hanging limp on a day with no wind. A person might also say they feel limp after a long, tiring experience, meaning they have no energy left. In all these uses, limp suggests pain, weakness, softness, or a loss of strength.

To limp is to walk unevenly, usually because one leg or foot hurts or is weak. It is not simply walking slowly. When someone limps, they put less weight on one side, so their steps look uneven or awkward. For example, you might say, "He limped home after the marathon," which suggests that each step took extra effort because of pain or extreme tiredness.

Beyond walking, limp is also an adjective for anything that is soft, weak, or no longer firm. A "limp handshake" feels weak and lifeless and may leave a poor impression. In the kitchen, vegetables become limp when they lose their freshness and crispness. In sailing, a sail goes limp when the wind drops and it no longer stays full.

The word also has a figurative use. A project might "limp along" if it is still going but only with difficulty and very little progress. After bad news, someone might say they felt limp, meaning physically or emotionally drained.

In most cases, the idea behind limp is the same: something is not strong, firm, or steady in the way it should be. It can describe a person walking after an injury, a wilted plant, wet cardboard, a weak handshake, or even an effort that is barely continuing. Whether the word is physical or figurative, it points to weakness, softness, or difficulty.