Describes physical quickness and light, effortless movement of a person or animal.
The cat is very nimble and lightly jumped onto the high fence.
He dodged the opponent's attack with agile movements.
Refers to mental quickness: thinking fast, reacting promptly, or being sharp-minded.
She has a quick mind and solves even difficult problems right away.
The minister faltered for a moment at the reporter's sharp question.
敏捷 stresses physical or mental agility and quick reflexes, while 敏速 focuses more on quickly handling or acting on something.
敏捷 is a more literary synonym stressing physical agility and nimbleness, whereas 機敏 leans toward quick, clever judgment in a situation.
敏捷 is a more formal adjective meaning agile or nimble in movement, whereas 足が早い specifically highlights speed on foot.
Standard kanji spelling.
Search-only form; 捷 is not a standard Jōyō kanji, so this mixed spelling may appear in some texts but is not recommended for learners.
A Sino-Japanese compound of 敏, “quick; acute,” and 捷, “swift; nimble,” describing physical or mental quickness.