Svelter
/ˈsvɛltər/noun
Comparative of svelte; slimmer, more gracefully lean.
Did you know?Svelte entered English from French, ultimately from a Germanic root tied to being slim or thin, and its polished, fashion-world vibe is much newer than the word itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swaltaz?
“likely a Germanic base meaning slim, thin, or narrow”
Old French
OF
esvelte
“slender, graceful, neat”
Middle French
MF
svelte
“slender, lithe”
19th Century
English
svelte
“slender and graceful in figure”
Modern English
English
svelter
“comparative form: more slender or graceful”