From Middle English limpen (“to fall short”), from Old English limpan, from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”).
Cognate with Low German lumpen (“to limp”), Middle High German limpfen (“to hobble, limp”), dialectal German lampen (“to hang down loosely”), Icelandic limpa (“limpness, weakness”).
Meanings
An irregular, jerky or awkward gait.
She walks with a limp.
A scraper for removing poor ore or refuse from the sieve.
From Middle English limpen (“to fall short”), from Old English limpan, from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”).
Cognate with Low German lumpen (“to limp”), Middle High German limpfen (“to hobble, limp”), dialectal German lampen (“to hang down loosely”), Icelandic limpa (“limpness, weakness”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To walk lamely, as if favoring one leg.
Dirk Kuyt sandwiched a goal in between Carroll's double as City endured a night of total misery, with captain Carlos Tevez limping off early on with a hamstring strain that puts a serious question mark over his participation in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley. 2011 April 11, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
(figuratively, intransitive, of a vehicle) To travel with a malfunctioning system of propulsion.
The bomber limped home on one engine.
(figuratively, intransitive) To move or proceed irregularly.
The business limped through the recession
I think, too, of other organizations that are doing much good work for us, and maybe with words are cheered on, but when it comes to the dollars and cents, few are willing to make any sort of sacrifice to put their money where their mouth is. The National Gay Task Force is an excellent example... drawing on the support of gay people in fifty states, yet having to limp along on $65,000 a year budgets. Organizations like Christian Cause, that would wipe us out if they could, draw ten times that amount with little effort. 1976 August 28, John C. Lawrence, “H.C.H.S Support”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 9, page 5:
And so we limped along for another month or two, pretending we still had a reason to be together. 2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 121:
limping verses
(intransitive, slang) To call, particularly in an unraised pot pre-flop.
ca arrossegar una cama (to walk lamely) · la claudicō (to walk lamely) · el κουτσαίνω (to walk lamely) · vo lemülön (to walk lamely) · de lahmen (to walk lamely) · fr claudiquer (to walk lamely) · cmn 跛行 (to walk lamely) · cmn 一步一瘸 (to walk lamely) · aln shkep (to walk lamely) · no hinke (to walk lamely) · ro șchiopăta (to walk lamely) · ka კოჭლობა (to walk lamely) · pt coxear (to walk lamely) · ca coixejar (to walk lamely) · mk куца (to walk lamely) · ar عَرَجَ (to walk lamely) · tr aksamak (to walk lamely) · gl cambar (to walk lamely) · gl poupiar (to walk lamely) · yi הינקען (to walk lamely) · fr boiter (to walk lamely) · arz عرج (to walk lamely) · sv halta (to walk lamely) · sh ћопати (to walk lamely) · hy կաղալ (to walk lamely) · id pincang (to walk lamely) · gl coxilicar (to walk lamely) · gl coxear (to walk lamely) · wa xhaler (to walk lamely) · az axsamaq (to walk lamely) · pl kuleć (to walk lamely) · fa شلیدن (to walk lamely) · tr topallamak (to walk lamely) · nn halta (to walk lamely) · cs kulhat (to walk lamely) · nl hinken (to walk lamely) · tl humingkod (to walk lamely) · mi toti (to walk lamely) · cmn 蹣跚 /蹒跚 (to walk lamely) · wa cleper (to walk lamely) · pl utykać (to walk lamely) · pt mancar (to walk lamely) · gl coxicar (to walk lamely) · gl trenquelear (to walk lamely) · sh ше̏пати (to walk lamely) · hu sántít (to walk lamely) · cmn 一瘸一拐 (to walk lamely) · bg куцам (to walk lamely) · no halte (to walk lamely) · gl ranquear (to walk lamely) · sk krívať (to walk lamely) · cs belhat se (to walk lamely) · om okkoluu (to walk lamely) · la claudeō (to walk lamely) · gl zopegar (to walk lamely) · dsb klěcaś (to walk lamely) · grc σκάζω (to walk lamely) · es cojear (to walk lamely) · he צָלַע (to walk lamely) · zza lengen (to walk lamely) · de humpeln (to walk lamely) · ru хрома́ть (to walk lamely) · gl manquexar (to walk lamely) · sk pokuľhávať (to walk lamely) · rup shcljoapic (to walk lamely) · et lonkama (to walk lamely) · it zoppicare (to walk lamely) · fi nilkuttaa (to walk lamely) · fr boitiller (to walk lamely) · sq çalë (to walk lamely) · de hinken (to walk lamely) · eo lami (to walk lamely) · fi ontua (to walk lamely) · izh rammita (to walk lamely) · vo boatagolön (to walk lamely) · sh hramati (to walk lamely) · sh šȅpati (to walk lamely) · hu biceg (to walk lamely) · uk кульга́ти (to walk lamely) · mi totitoti (to walk lamely) · sh храмати (to walk lamely) · gl ancar (to walk lamely) · hu sántikál (to walk lamely) · be кульгаць (to walk lamely) · sh ćopati (to walk lamely) · ja 足を引きずる (to walk lamely) · qu hank'ay (to walk lamely)
From Middle English *limp, *lemp, from Old English *lemp (recorded only in compound lemphealt (“limping”), from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”). Cognate with German lampecht (“flaccid, limp”), Icelandic lempinn, lempiligur (“pliable, gentle”). See above.
Meanings
Flaccid; flabby, resembling flesh.
Lacking stiffness; floppy, flimsy.
a limp rope
Soft; weak, especially physically.
Another line-out was stolen, and when the ball was sent left Clerc stepped and spun through limp challenges from Wilkinson, Chris Ashton and Foden to dive over and make it 11-0. 2011 October 8, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2025:
From Middle English *limp, *lemp, from Old English *lemp (recorded only in compound lemphealt (“limping”), from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”). Cognate with German lampecht (“flaccid, limp”), Icelandic lempinn, lempiligur (“pliable, gentle”). See above.
Meanings
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.
From Middle English *limp, *lemp, from Old English *lemp (recorded only in compound lemphealt (“limping”), from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”). Cognate with German lampecht (“flaccid, limp”), Icelandic lempinn, lempiligur (“pliable, gentle”). See above.
Meanings
(intransitive, stative) To be inadequate or unsatisfactory.
From Middle English limpen, from Old English limpan (“to happen, occur, exist, belong to, suit, befit, concern”).
Cognate with Scots limp (“to chance to be, come”), Middle Dutch limpen (“to happen”), Middle Low German gelimpen (“to moderate, treat mildly”), Middle High German limfen (“to suit, become”).
Meanings
(intransitive, obsolete) To happen; befall; chance.
To intimidate the people, you drew up Resolves, and an Address to his Majesty, founded on evidence from Governor Barnard, the Commissioners of Revenue, Custom-house Officers, and a few poor, expectant and dependent creatures, whom your Limp corresponds with in Boston; and thereby, having imposed upon, and deceived the legislature, sanctified your despotism, at the expence of their last Liberties; 1770, A Lee, The Political Detection: Or, the Treachery and Tyranny of Administration, Both at Home and Abroad;, page 4:
Even if he were set at liberty, what could he do but haunt Jacobite coffeehouses, squeeze oranges, and drink the health of Limp? 1915, Thomas Babington Macaulay Baron Macaulay, Charles Harding Firth, The History of England: From the Accession of James the Second: