elflike

1 7.6

Small and delicate with graceful pointed features

adjective
/ˈɛlfˌlaɪk/

: elfo

The artist painted an elflike figure perched among the flowers, captivating all who saw it.

Examples

The fairy tale featured an elflike creature that danced gracefully in the moonlight.
Her elflike features and delicate frame gave her an enchanting appearance.
One youngster with a shock of red hair presented Zeke with a chalice; an elflike boy offered a patent-leather belt from which dangled a grease box and a tassel.

Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

elven

vselflike

Literature

7 8.6

A person or thing that looks small, delicate, and graceful in a magical way

focuses on delicate graceful appearance rather than broad otherworldly traits

elfin

vselflike

Literature

5 7.7

Being small and delicate in a charming, fairy-like way

emphasizes delicate graceful smallness rather than playful mischief

pixieish

vselflike

1 8.2

Being playful and slightly naughty like a small friendly fairy

is more about delicate grace and smallness rather than playful mischief

fairylike

vselflike

1 4.9

Having a small, gentle, and magical look

highlights small graceful look rather than general enchantment

Antonyms

heavyset

11 3.5

A person with a large, solid body and wide shoulders

ungainly

7 7.3

Moving or looking awkward and clumsy

How Delicate

ethereal

Literature

23 8.8

elflike

1 7.6

dainty

22 4.9

slender

64 1.4

Surface Forms

elflike positive

Morphology

elflike = elf (transparent) = elf + like

The adjective is formed with the productive English suffix '-like' meaning 'resembling', so the meaning is directly derived from 'elf'.

Etymology

The word elflike comes from elf, meaning 'small, magical person', and the ending -like, meaning 'similar to'. So, elflike describes someone who looks or moves with the small, delicate grace of an elf.