agile

agile — adjective

1. describes a person or animal that can change direction, climb, jump, or run smoo

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes a person or animal that can change direction, climb, jump, or run smoothly without losing balance or speed.

Example

The goat was agile enough to climb the steep cliff above the village.

predicative: be agile enough to + verb

Linnea is so agile that she leapt over the fence in one smooth motion.

intensifier: so agile that…

Common collocations
  • agile body
  • agile movements
  • agile on one's feet
  • remarkably agile
Synonyms
  • nimble

    near-synonym; emphasises light, neat movement, often of fingers or feet.

  • lithe

    suggests slim, graceful flexibility, often of dancers or cats.

  • spry

    informal; usually praises an older person who is still active.

Antonyms
  • clumsy

    moves awkwardly and bumps into things.

  • stiff

    joints or muscles that do not bend easily.

Usage Note

Subject is typically a person, animal, or body part. Often paired with verbs of movement (leap, climb, dodge, turn). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about the body, not the mind.

Common Mistakes

My grandmother is very agility for her age.
My grandmother is very agile for her age.
'agility' is the noun; 'agile' is the adjective.

2. describes a mind or thinker that takes in new facts fast, switches between ideas

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes a mind or thinker that takes in new facts fast, switches between ideas easily, and finds clever answers under pressure.

Example

The lawyer has an agile mind and answered every question without hesitation.

common collocation: agile mind

Daily puzzles can keep your brain agile well into old age.

keep + brain/mind + agile

Common collocations
  • agile mind
  • agile thinker
  • mentally agile
  • agile thinking
Synonyms
  • sharp

    very common; suggests a quick, accurate thinker.

  • quick-witted

    good at clever or funny replies in the moment.

  • astute

    more formal; suggests careful judgement, not just speed.

Antonyms
  • slow

    takes a long time to understand or react.

  • dull

    lacks energy and quickness in thinking.

Usage Note

Subject is usually 'mind', 'brain', 'thinking', or 'thinker'. Often modified by 'mentally' or 'intellectually'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is metaphorical and never describes the body.

Common Mistakes

She is agile in math.
She has an agile mind for math.
'agile' (mental sense) modifies a noun like 'mind' or 'thinking', not a topic directly.

3. describes a way of running projects or teams that breaks the work into short cyc

3.adjectiveC2
Definition

describes a way of running projects or teams that breaks the work into short cycles, checks results often, and changes the plan whenever new information comes in.

Example

The Berlin office uses agile methods, so teams meet every morning to review progress.

collocation: agile methods / agile methodology

After moving to an agile workflow, the developers now ship features every two weeks.

agile workflow / agile process

Common collocations
  • agile methodology
  • agile development
  • agile team
  • agile workflow
  • agile transformation
Synonyms
  • adaptive

    stresses the ability to change to fit new conditions.

  • lean

    related management style focused on cutting waste and short cycles.

  • flexible

    broader; any system that can be adjusted, not only project work.

Antonyms
  • waterfall

    traditional rival approach where each stage finishes before the next begins.

  • rigid

    process that cannot be changed once it is set.

Usage Note

Often capitalised as 'Agile' when naming the formal software-development framework. Typical noun partners: methods, methodology, workflow, team, project, sprint, transformation. Distinguish from senses 1 and 2: subject is an organisation, process, or way of working, not a person's body or mind.

Common Mistakes

We do agile in our company.
We use agile methods in our company.
'agile' is an adjective; pair it with a noun like 'methods', 'workflow', or 'team'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words praise quick, easy body movement, but each fits a slightly different scene. 'Agile' is the broadest and most neutral, used for athletes, animals, and even abstract things like minds or organisations. 'Nimble' focuses on small, neat, accurate movements — nimble fingers on a keyboard, a nimble climber picking footholds. 'Lithe' adds the picture of a slim, flexible body bending gracefully, so it fits dancers, cats, and gymnasts more than rugby players. 'Spry' is informal and almost always praises older people who are still surprisingly active — 'a spry 80-year-old who still hikes every weekend'. So you might say 'an agile striker', 'nimble fingers', 'a lithe ballerina', and 'a spry grandfather'.

agile ↗nimblelithespry

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • remarkably agile
  • surprisingly agile
  • amazingly agile
  • mentally agile
  • physically agile

Phrases

  • keep your mind agile
  • stay agile
  • agile project management
  • an agile approach

Prepositions

  • agile on one's feet
  • agile in thought
  • agile at climbing

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle FrenchEnglish

'Agile' came into English in the late 1500s from French 'agile', which traced back to Latin 'agilis', meaning 'easy to move'. The Latin form was built from the verb 'agere' ('to drive, do, act') plus the suffix '-ilis' ('able to'). The original sense in English was the physical one — quick on one's feet. The mental sense ('an agile mind') grew naturally from that picture in the 1600s. The modern business meaning is much newer: it spread from 2001, after software developers published the 'Agile Manifesto' to describe a flexible, fast-cycle way of building software.