Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

light-fingered

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.08 in modern English

Syllables: light-fin-gered
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having quick, light and nimble fingers.

adj

Having nimble fingers, especially for stealing or picking pockets (pickpocketing), given to thievery or shoplifting.

verb

simple past and past participle of light-finger

Example Sentences

"There is a great quantity of eating and drinking, making love and jilting, laughing and the contrary, smoking, cheating, fighting, dancing and fiddling; […] yokels looking up at the tinselled dancers and poor old rouged tumblers, while the light-fingered folk are operating upon their pockets behind."

Etymology

From light (“not heavy”, adjective) + fingered (“having fingers”, adjective).

Word Breakdown

Prefix: light
Suffix: fingered

Inflected Forms

lighter-fingered (comparative) more light-fingered (comparative) lightest-fingered (superlative) most light-fingered (superlative) lightfingered (alternative)

Phrases

light-fingeredness sticky-fingered

Frequently Paired Words

furtive steal theft thief sticky-fingered

Synonyms

furacious light-fingered sticky-fingered theftuous thievish nimble-fingered

Questions

What does light-fingered mean?: Having quick, light and nimble fingers.
Where does light-fingered come from?: From light (“not heavy”, adjective) + fingered (“having fingers”, adjective).

How to pronounce light-fingered

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