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spry

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An adjective meaning lively, active, and energetic, especially for an older person; in poetry, it celebrates vigour in age, defying expectations of decline.

Detailed Definition
Spry is a descriptive word often used for someone who remains nimble or full of energy despite age. In the poem it characterizes Pauline as unusually vigorous, and the slightly old-fashioned tone may make readers stop and check it.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Eighty-five and spry as ever, fiercely independent” — spry means lively, agile, and energetic, especially despite old age; the phrase resists stereotypes of frailty by stressing continued movement and autonomy; poets may use spry affectionately in portraits of elders; compare Dylan Thomas’s command to “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” which likewise challenges passive decline; its bright sound reinforces quickness
Additional Notes
In the quoted line, spry is a less common descriptive adjective than everyday words like lively or active.; Found in the poem, Pauline and the Foxes' Folly by Richard
Also Known As
lively agile nimble sprightly
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