limp lips

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "limp lips" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe lips that appear soft, weak, or lacking firmness, often in a figurative or descriptive context. Example: "After the long night, she woke up with limp lips, a sign of her exhaustion."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

A look into the lives -- or, even more sadly, the taken lives -- of victims of extreme bullying, the film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was quickly picked up by The Weinstein Company, works to personalize the issue of bullying, so often condemned in limp lip-service platitudes, with micro looks that speak to universal suffering.

Huffington Post

Ambassador Prudence Bushnell, who had been giving a speech at the Cooperative Bank building down the street from the embassy at the moment of the explosion and was slightly wounded, toured the ruins of the mission today, walking stiffly, with a slight limp, a split lip and an expression of mourning.

The New York Times

It was everywhere in the early 1960s: on television, on radio – limp wrists, mincing walks, lip-smacking sibilants, pursed lips.

The Guardian

That's right, between shoveling those pale, yellow, limp fries past your salty lips, you can also lay down some sick beats, and even record a vocal sample or two!

Vice

That's right, between shovelling those pale, yellow, limp fries past your salty lips, you can also lay down some sick beats, and even record a vocal sample or two!

Vice

I managed to limp up to the crater lip, passing a worker who was coughing wildly, then hobbled two miles to the trailhead.

The New York Times - Travel

The author's description of Toulouse-Lautrec himself is memorable: "He limped, had very large nostrils, bulbous lips, a thickened tongue and a speech impediment.

The New York Times - Books

The elements that both works share — the lying down and the limp bodies, the running up to the lip of the stage — come to seem mere devices in "Cesena," at least when seen after "En Atendant".

The New York Times - Arts

His lip occasionally twitched, his hands lay limp in his lap, and for the most part his eyes were closed.

The New York Times

His lips purse, his toes point inward, and his wrists become limp.

Vice

A limp?

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "limp lips" to convey a sense of weakness, exhaustion, or lack of vitality in a character's appearance or emotional state. It's more evocative than simply saying "soft lips".

Common error

Avoid using "limp lips" in professional or academic writing unless you're aiming for a highly descriptive and potentially figurative tone. In such contexts, more neutral terms like "soft lips" might be preferable.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "limp lips" functions primarily as a descriptive element, modifying the noun "lips" with the adjective "limp". It adds detail to the description, conveying a specific visual or tactile quality.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "limp lips" is a grammatically correct and descriptive expression used to convey a sense of weakness, exhaustion, or lack of vitality. While not overly common, it appears primarily in news and media contexts to add nuanced detail to character descriptions or portrayals. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in English. Alternative phrases like "soft lips" or "flaccid lips" offer similar meanings, but "limp lips" brings a unique evocative quality, especially when aiming to depict a physical or emotional state of depletion. While its frequency is rare, its impact can be significant in creating a vivid mental image.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

soft lips

Focuses on the softness rather than the lack of firmness.

flaccid lips

Emphasizes the lack of muscle tone or firmness.

lifeless lips

Highlights the absence of vitality or animation.

expressionless lips

Indicates a lack of emotional expression conveyed through the lips.

slack lips

Suggests a relaxed or loose state of the lips.

drooping lips

Emphasizes the downward direction or sag of the lips.

weak lips

Focuses on the lack of strength or definition in the lips.

unresponsive lips

Highlights the lack of reaction or movement in the lips.

pale lips

Describes the color rather than the firmness of the lips.

passive lips

Indicates a lack of active engagement or expression.

FAQs

How can I use "limp lips" in a sentence?

"Limp lips" can be used to describe a physical state, often conveying tiredness or weakness, as in "After the marathon, his face was pale, and his "lips" were "limp"."

What does "limp lips" suggest about someone's emotional state?

The phrase "limp lips" often suggests a lack of energy, vitality, or emotional strength. It can imply sadness, exhaustion, or a general lack of responsiveness. It can be used as a figure of speech to indicate a lack of expression.

Are there alternative phrases for "limp lips" that convey a similar meaning?

Yes, alternatives include "soft lips", "flaccid lips", or "lifeless lips", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "limp lips" a common expression in English?

While grammatically correct and understandable, "limp lips" isn't a highly frequent expression. It is more common in descriptive writing, particularly in fiction or character portrayals, but it could be rare in everyday conversations. It is most frequent in descriptive writing.