THIN Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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thin

[ thin ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

thinner, thinnest.

having relatively little extent from one surface or side to the opposite; not thick:
thin ice.
of small cross section in comparison with the length; slender:
a thin wire.
having little flesh; spare; lean:
a thin man.
Synonyms: , , , ,
composed of or containing objects, particles, etc., widely separated; sparse:
thin vegetation.
scant; not abundant or plentiful.
Synonyms:
of relatively slight consistency or viscosity:
thin soup.
rarefied, as air.
without solidity or substance; flimsy:
a very thin plot for such a long book.
Synonyms:
lacking fullness or volume; weak and shrill:
a thin voice.
without force or a sincere effort:
a thin smile.
lacking body, richness, or strength:
a thin wine.
lacking in chroma; of light tint.
Photography. (of a developed negative) lacking in density or contrast through underdevelopment or underexposure.

adverb

in a thin manner.
sparsely; not densely.
so as to produce something thin:
Slice the ham thin.

verb (used with object)

thinned, thinning.

to make thin or thinner (often followed by down, out, etc.).

verb (used without object)

thinned, thinning.

to become thin or thinner; become reduced or diminished (often followed by down, out, off, etc.):
The crowd is thinning out.

thin

/ θɪ�� /

adjective

of relatively small extent from one side or surface to the other; fine or narrow
slim or lean
sparsely placed; meagre
thin hair
of relatively low density or viscosity
a thin liquid
weak; poor; insufficient
a thin disguise
(of a photographic negative) having low density, usually insufficient to produce a satisfactory positive
mountaineering a climb or pitch on which the holds are few and small
thin on the ground
few in number; scarce

adverb

in order to produce something thin
to cut bread thin

verb

to make or become thin or sparse

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Derived Forms

ˈ�ٳ󾱲Ա��, adverb
ˈ�ٳ󾱲ԲԱ��, noun

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Other �y��vlog Forms

�ٳ󾱲�l�� adverb
�ٳ󾱲�n�� noun
��v��·�ٳ󾱲� adjective
over·�ٳ󾱲�l�� adverb
over·�ٳ󾱲�n�� noun
��-�ٳ󾱲�n��Բ� adjective
��p��·�ٳ󾱲� adjective
�ܲ�·�ٳ󾱲ԲԱ�� adjective
�ܲ�·�ٳ󾱲�n��Բ� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of thin¹

First recorded before 900; (adjective and adverb) Middle English thyn(ne), Old English thynne; cognate with Dutch dun, German ��ü�Բ�, Old Norse thunnr; (verb) Middle English thynnen, Old English thynnian, derivative of the adjective; compare Middle Dutch dunnen, Old Norse thynna; akin to Old Irish tana, Latin tenuis thin, Greek tany- long

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of thin¹

Old English thynne; related to Old Frisian thenne, Old Saxon, Old High German thunni, Old Norse thunnr, Latin tenuis thin, Greek teinein to stretch

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Idioms and Phrases

into thin air
on thin ice
spread oneself too thin
through thick and thin
wear thin

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Synonym Study

Thin, gaunt, lean, spare agree in referring to one having little flesh. Thin applies often to one in an unnaturally reduced state, as from sickness, overwork, lack of food, or the like: a thin, dirty little waif. Gaunt suggests the angularity of bones prominently displayed in a thin face and body: to look ill and gaunt. Lean usually applies to a person or animal that is naturally thin: looking lean but healthy after an outdoor vacation. Spare implies a muscular leanness with no diminution of vitality: Lincoln was spare in body.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Local theaters were hit hard by the pandemic, followed by the writers and actors strikes of 2023, which thinned out the studios’ release schedules.

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Or thin the sauce out and turn it into a saag soup with a crispy garnish for texture and flavor.

From

He described himself as a "shy, serious, lugubrious kid, painfully thin, with a long, sad face".

From

“I think the adjectives are going to get real thin.”

From

Hundreds of people joined police, sniffer dogs and the military in a search the following day, but the toddler appeared to have vanished into thin air.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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