thin

1 of 3

adjective

ˈthin

thinner; thinnest

: having little extent from one surface to its opposite

thin paper

: measuring little in cross section or diameter

thin rope

: not dense in arrangement or distribution

thin hair

: not well fleshed : lean

: more fluid or rarefied than normal

thin air

: having less than the usual number : scanty

thin attendance

: few in number : scarce

: scantily supplied

: characterized by a paucity of bids or offerings

a thin market

: lacking substance or strength

thin broth

a thin plot

of a soil : infertile, poor

: flimsy, unconvincing

a thin disguise

: disappointingly poor or hard

had a thin time of it

: somewhat feeble, shrill, and lacking in resonance

a thin voice

: lacking in intensity or brilliance

thin light

: lacking sufficient photographic density or contrast

thinly adverb

thinness

ˈthin-nəs

noun

thinnish

ˈthi-nish

adjective

thin

2 of 3

verb

thinned; thinning

transitive verb

: to make thin or thinner:

: to reduce in thickness or depth : attenuate

: to make less dense or viscous

: dilute, weaken

: to cause to lose flesh

thinned by weeks of privation

: to reduce in number or bulk

intransitive verb

: to become thin or thinner

: to become weak

thin

3 of 3

adverb

thinner; thinnest

: in a thin manner : thinly

—used especially in combination

thin-cladthin-flowing

Example Sentences

Adjective a thin coating of dust pizza with a thin crust a thin slice of ham a thin stand of trees Verb He added a little more water to thin the gravy. The haze thinned in the late afternoon. His face has been thinned by illness. Adverb She sliced the cheese thin. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But losing the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year for a chunk of the season, from an otherwise thin unit, is still a significant blow.

Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022 During a colonoscopy, a doctor (typically a gastroenterologist) inserts a thin, flexible tube inside the rectum to check the colon for polyps.

Maggie O'neill, SELF, 14 Sep. 2022 Chris Papas distributed about 50 thin blue line flags to people waiting for the procession to pass through the area.

Jozsef Papp, ajc, 14 Sep. 2022 When his legal team argued last week there was little due diligence would have revealed on fake users given Zatko’s claims that Twitter would bury any damaging information, the Court of Chancery in Delaware indicated Musk’s case rests on thin ice.

Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2022 Of course, thin positioning among institutional investors also means the market is susceptible to rapid bouncebacks.

Gunjan Banerji, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 The larger gathering Tuesday came exactly eight weeks before the midterm elections that will determine whether Democrats can hold onto their thin congressional majorities.

Eli Stokolsstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2022 The Catholic Church continues to walk a thin line attempting to reclaim authority from the CCP without further endangering its members within Chinese borders.

Fox News, 13 Sep. 2022 Western beauty ideals include being tall and thin, having long silky hair, light skin, a small nose, and high cheekbones.

Náosha Gregg, Glamour, 10 Aug. 2022

Verb

If your snot is like molasses, drink up to help thin it out.

Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 6 Sep. 2022 Olive oil and vinegar help thin the creamy dressing, and garnish it all with your favorite fresh herbs to add even more flavor.

Laura Denby, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 Age can also play a role: As estrogen levels decrease between childbearing age and menopause, our hair may thin out.

Mona Gohara, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 There are, of course, avenues to thin the payroll, including potentially offloading what would be Duncan Robinson’s $18.2 million 2023-24 salary.

Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2022 Blending clear polish with your favorite lacquer helps to thin it out for a softer look to strong pigments.

Nicol Natale, PEOPLE.com, 19 July 2022 Sze likes to thin it out with soy sauce, black vinegar, and water for a dipping sauce with a balanced bite.

Elyse Inamine, Bon Appétit, 19 Feb. 2022 If the fondue begins to thicken too much over time, add a small splash of wine to thin it.

Hannah Selinger, Outside Online, 27 Jan. 2022 Check again in a few months because fabric can thin out or fade over time.

Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 7 July 2022

Adverb

As a result, firefighters must take frequent breaks, which could leave the ranks stretched thin if several dangerous fires break out at once.

BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2022 With resources already stretched thin, kids with fewer needs are getting the beds.

Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2022 So this past year, the company launched a one-on-one coaching network for female attorneys stretched thin with work and family commitments.

Diane Herbst, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 Abloh’s enthusiasm for design eclipsed other creatives and often left him spread thin.

Roxanne Robinson, Forbes, 2 June 2022 The nation’s second-largest school system, Los Angeles Unified, has had the second-largest police force in the country, but it was always spread thin on a school-by-school basis.

Howard Blumestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2022 Families, including Mecattaf’s, are spread thin all over the world.

Isabelle Mecattaf, The New Yorker, 13 May 2022 The backline was stretched thin with Matarrita out, and a rotating cast of players have filled in at his left back (and sometimes left wing back) position.

Pat Brennan, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2022 Polep and her husband care for their four children and her adult brother, who has multiple sclerosis, so their budget was already stretched thin before prices started rising.

Kaitlyn Koterbski, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English thin, thinne, going back to Old English þynne, going back to Germanic *þunnu- (assimilated to the -ja-stem adjectives in West Germanic, whence Middle Dutch dunne "thin," Old High German dunni, against Old Norse þunnr), generalized from a paradigm *þenu-, *þunw-a-, going back to Indo-European *ténh₂u-, *tn̥h₂u̯ó-, whence also, from with a base *tenh₂u-, *tn̥h₂u- with varying ablaut and suffixation, Old Irish tanae "thin, slender," Old Welsh teneu, Middle Breton tanau, Latin tenuis "fine-drawn, thin, narrow, slight," Greek tanu- "extended, long," tanaós "outstretched, long," Old Church Slavic tĭnŭkŭ "fine, delicate," Russian tónkij "thin," Croatian & Serbian tȁnak, Lithuanian tę́vas, Sanskrit tanúḥ, tánukaḥ "thin, small"

Note: Indo-European *tenh₂u-, *tn̥h₂u- is usually taken to be a derivative of the verbal base *ten- "stretch, extend"; see tenant entry 1.

Verb

Middle English thinnen, going back to Old English þynnian, derivative of þynne thin entry 1

Adverb

Middle English thynne, derivative of thin, thinne thin entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

thin 1 of 2

adjective

ˈthin

thinner; thinnest

: having little body fat

: having little size from one surface to its opposite : not thick

a thin board

: having the parts not close together

thin hair

: flowing very easily

a thin soup

: having less than the usual number

Attendance was thin.

: not very convincing

a thin excuse

: somewhat weak or high

a thin voice

: having less oxygen than normal

thin air

thin

2 of 2

verb

thinned; thinning

: to make or become smaller in thickness or number

The crowd was beginning to thin.

thin 1 of 2

adjective

as in skinny

having a noticeably small amount of body fat after starting a workout routine, she looked thinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

skinny
slender
bony
lean
slim
gaunt
angular
svelte
lithe
boney
trim
skeletal
haggard
fatless
wiry
spare
willowy
scrawny
reedy
stringy
spindly
lanky
sinewy
lank
twiggy
weedy
sylphlike
scraggy
emaciated
anorexic
rawboned
pinched
meager
rangy
puny
waspish
cadaverous
clean-limbed
wizened
anorectic
slight
spindling
meagre
anoretic
wasted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

thick
fat
plump
chubby
heavy
bulky
corpulent
overweight
rotund
fleshy
gross
stocky
obese
chunky
portly
stout
tubby
beefy
heavyset
weighty
thickset
burly
pudgy
stubby
husky
brawny
dumpy
soft
flabby
squat
paunchy
potbellied
buxom
full
round
zaftig
roly-poly
hippy
zoftig

as in slender

being of less than usual width the thin threads of a cobweb

Synonyms & Similar Words

slender
narrow
skinny
fine
slim
tight
ultrathin
paper-thin
elongated
needlelike
close
linear
elongate
condensed
hairline
compressed
slim-jim
spare
tightened
wispy
reedy
attenuated
stringy
spindly
squeezed
lanky
constricted
willowy
twiggy
attenuate
stalky
contracted
lank
rangy
shoestring
bottleneck

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wide
broad
thick
fat
stocky
chunky
bulky
stumpy
thickset
squat
voluminous
massive
thickish
widish

as in thinned

not containing very much of some important element the evidence for that oddball theory is pretty thin

Synonyms & Similar Words

thinned
dilute
diluted
weak
washy
watery
weakened
adulterated
watered-down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

strong
rich
fortified
full-bodied
enriched
condensed
concentrated
evaporated

thin

2 of 2

verb

as in to dilute

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances thinned the cream with milk but didn't tell anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

dilute
cut
dirty
load
weaken
lace
water down
poison
manipulate
infect
pollute
extend
sophisticate
adulterate
soil
spoil
taint
degrade
contaminate
corrupt
moderate
sully
fake
temper
counterfeit
defile
foul
attenuate
spike
fudge
cheapen
debase
befoul
misrepresent
falsify
qualify
doctor
envenom
tamper (with)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

strengthen
fortify
enrich
reinforce
supplement
augment
clean
fertilize
reenforce
better
improve
compact
lard
flush
purify
filter
richen
refine
enhance
leach
decontaminate
cleanse
clarify
purge
distil
distill
concentrate
pasteurize
condense

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of thin are slender, slight, slim, and tenuous. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.

thin wire

a thin soup

The words slender and thin can be used in similar contexts, but slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

The synonyms slight and thin are sometimes interchangeable, but slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

The words slim and thin are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

In some situations, the words tenuous and thin are roughly equivalent. However, tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

单词	thin
释义	thin 1 of 3 adjective ˈthin thinner; thinnest 1 a : having little extent from one surface to its opposite thin paper b : measuring little in cross section or diameter thin rope 2 : not dense in arrangement or distribution thin hair 3 : not well fleshed : lean 4 a : more fluid or rarefied than normal thin air b : having less than the usual number : scanty thin attendance c : few in number : scarce d : scantily supplied e : characterized by a paucity of bids or offerings a thin market 5 a : lacking substance or strength thin broth a thin plot b of a soil : infertile, poor 6 a : flimsy, unconvincing a thin disguise b : disappointingly poor or hard had a thin time of it 7 : somewhat feeble, shrill, and lacking in resonance a thin voice 8 : lacking in intensity or brilliance thin light 9 : lacking sufficient photographic density or contrast thinly adverb thinness ˈthin-nəs noun thinnish ˈthi-nish adjective thin 2 of 3 verb thinned; thinning transitive verb : to make thin or thinner: a : to reduce in thickness or depth : attenuate b : to make less dense or viscous c : dilute, weaken d : to cause to lose flesh thinned by weeks of privation e : to reduce in number or bulk intransitive verb 1 : to become thin or thinner 2 : to become weak thin 3 of 3 adverb thinner; thinnest : in a thin manner : thinly —used especially in combination thin-cladthin-flowing Phrases thin on the ground : scarce sense 1 Synonyms Adjective bony boney fatless lean lithe skinny slender slim spare svelte Verb adulterate cut dilute extend lace sophisticate water down weaken See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective a thin coating of dust pizza with a thin crust a thin slice of ham a thin stand of trees Verb He added a little more water to thin the gravy. The haze thinned in the late afternoon. His face has been thinned by illness. Adverb She sliced the cheese thin. See More Recent Examples on the Web Adjective But losing the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year for a chunk of the season, from an otherwise thin unit, is still a significant blow. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022 During a colonoscopy, a doctor (typically a gastroenterologist) inserts a thin, flexible tube inside the rectum to check the colon for polyps. Maggie O'neill, SELF, 14 Sep. 2022 Chris Papas distributed about 50 thin blue line flags to people waiting for the procession to pass through the area. Jozsef Papp, ajc, 14 Sep. 2022 When his legal team argued last week there was little due diligence would have revealed on fake users given Zatko’s claims that Twitter would bury any damaging information, the Court of Chancery in Delaware indicated Musk’s case rests on thin ice. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2022 Of course, thin positioning among institutional investors also means the market is susceptible to rapid bouncebacks. Gunjan Banerji, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 The larger gathering Tuesday came exactly eight weeks before the midterm elections that will determine whether Democrats can hold onto their thin congressional majorities. Eli Stokolsstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2022 The Catholic Church continues to walk a thin line attempting to reclaim authority from the CCP without further endangering its members within Chinese borders. Fox News, 13 Sep. 2022 Western beauty ideals include being tall and thin, having long silky hair, light skin, a small nose, and high cheekbones. Náosha Gregg, Glamour, 10 Aug. 2022 Verb If your snot is like molasses, drink up to help thin it out. Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 6 Sep. 2022 Olive oil and vinegar help thin the creamy dressing, and garnish it all with your favorite fresh herbs to add even more flavor. Laura Denby, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 Age can also play a role: As estrogen levels decrease between childbearing age and menopause, our hair may thin out. Mona Gohara, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 There are, of course, avenues to thin the payroll, including potentially offloading what would be Duncan Robinson’s $18.2 million 2023-24 salary. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2022 Blending clear polish with your favorite lacquer helps to thin it out for a softer look to strong pigments. Nicol Natale, PEOPLE.com, 19 July 2022 Sze likes to thin it out with soy sauce, black vinegar, and water for a dipping sauce with a balanced bite. Elyse Inamine, Bon Appétit, 19 Feb. 2022 If the fondue begins to thicken too much over time, add a small splash of wine to thin it. Hannah Selinger, Outside Online, 27 Jan. 2022 Check again in a few months because fabric can thin out or fade over time. Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 7 July 2022 Adverb As a result, firefighters must take frequent breaks, which could leave the ranks stretched thin if several dangerous fires break out at once. BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2022 With resources already stretched thin, kids with fewer needs are getting the beds. Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2022 So this past year, the company launched a one-on-one coaching network for female attorneys stretched thin with work and family commitments. Diane Herbst, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 Abloh’s enthusiasm for design eclipsed other creatives and often left him spread thin. Roxanne Robinson, Forbes, 2 June 2022 The nation’s second-largest school system, Los Angeles Unified, has had the second-largest police force in the country, but it was always spread thin on a school-by-school basis. Howard Blumestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2022 Families, including Mecattaf’s, are spread thin all over the world. Isabelle Mecattaf, The New Yorker, 13 May 2022 The backline was stretched thin with Matarrita out, and a rotating cast of players have filled in at his left back (and sometimes left wing back) position. Pat Brennan, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2022 Polep and her husband care for their four children and her adult brother, who has multiple sclerosis, so their budget was already stretched thin before prices started rising. Kaitlyn Koterbski, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Adjective Middle English thin, thinne, going back to Old English þynne, going back to Germanic þunnu- (assimilated to the -ja-stem adjectives in West Germanic, whence Middle Dutch dunne* "thin," Old High German dunni, against Old Norse þunnr), generalized from a paradigm þenu-, þunw-a-, going back to Indo-European ténh₂u-, tn̥h₂u̯ó-, whence also, from with a base tenh₂u-, tn̥h₂u- with varying ablaut and suffixation, Old Irish tanae "thin, slender," Old Welsh teneu, Middle Breton tanau, Latin tenuis "fine-drawn, thin, narrow, slight," Greek tanu- "extended, long," tanaós "outstretched, long," Old Church Slavic tĭnŭkŭ "fine, delicate," Russian tónkij "thin," Croatian & Serbian tȁnak, Lithuanian tę́vas, Sanskrit tanúḥ, tánukaḥ "thin, small" Note: Indo-European tenh₂u-, tn̥h₂u- is usually taken to be a derivative of the verbal base ten- "stretch, extend"; see tenant entry 1. Verb Middle English thinnen,* going back to Old English þynnian, derivative of þynne thin entry 1 Adverb Middle English thynne, derivative of thin, thinne thin entry 1 First Known Use Adjective before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense Adverb 13th century, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing thin on thin ice into thin air have a thin time (of it) out of thin air paper-thin disappear/vanish into thin air thin skin thin smile razor-thin thin film the thin end of the wedge run thin thin-layer chromatography wear thin thin-skinned thick and thin through thick and thin wafer-thin thin on the ground See More on thin ice into thin air have a thin time (of it) out of thin air paper-thin disappear/vanish into thin air thin skin thin smile razor-thin thin film the thin end of the wedge run thin thin-layer chromatography wear thin thin-skinned thick and thin through thick and thin wafer-thin thin on the ground See More Kids Definition thin 1 of 2 adjective ˈthin thinner; thinnest 1 : having little body fat 2 : having little size from one surface to its opposite : not thick a thin board 3 : having the parts not close together thin hair 4 : flowing very easily a thin soup 5 : having less than the usual number Attendance was thin. 6 : not very convincing a thin excuse 7 : somewhat weak or high a thin voice 8 : having less oxygen than normal thin air thin 2 of 2 verb thinned; thinning : to make or become smaller in thickness or number The crowd was beginning to thin. thin 1 of 2 adjective 1 as in skinny having a noticeably small amount of body fat after starting a workout routine, she looked thinner Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance skinny slender bony lean slim gaunt angular svelte lithe boney trim skeletal haggard fatless wiry spare willowy scrawny reedy stringy spindly lanky sinewy lank twiggy weedy sylphlike scraggy emaciated anorexic rawboned pinched meager rangy puny waspish cadaverous clean-limbed wizened anorectic slight spindling meagre anoretic wasted Antonyms & Near Antonyms thick fat plump chubby heavy bulky corpulent overweight rotund fleshy gross stocky obese chunky portly stout tubby beefy heavyset weighty thickset burly pudgy stubby husky brawny dumpy soft flabby squat paunchy potbellied buxom full round zaftig roly-poly hippy zoftig See More 2 as in slender being of less than usual width the thin threads of a cobweb Synonyms & Similar Words slender narrow skinny fine slim tight ultrathin paper-thin elongated needlelike close linear elongate condensed hairline compressed slim-jim spare tightened wispy reedy attenuated stringy spindly squeezed lanky constricted willowy twiggy attenuate stalky contracted lank rangy shoestring bottleneck Antonyms & Near Antonyms wide broad thick fat stocky chunky bulky stumpy thickset squat voluminous massive thickish widish See More 3 as in thinned not containing very much of some important element the evidence for that oddball theory is pretty thin Synonyms & Similar Words thinned dilute diluted weak washy watery weakened adulterated watered-down Antonyms & Near Antonyms strong rich fortified full-bodied enriched condensed concentrated evaporated See More thin 2 of 2 verb as in to dilute to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances thinned the cream with milk but didn't tell anyone Synonyms & Similar Words dilute cut dirty load weaken lace water down poison manipulate infect pollute extend sophisticate adulterate soil spoil taint degrade contaminate corrupt moderate sully fake temper counterfeit defile foul attenuate spike fudge cheapen debase befoul misrepresent falsify qualify doctor envenom tamper (with) Antonyms & Near Antonyms strengthen fortify enrich reinforce supplement augment clean fertilize reenforce better improve compact lard flush purify filter richen refine enhance leach decontaminate cleanse clarify purge distil distill concentrate pasteurize condense See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of thin are slender, slight, slim, and tenuous. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance. thin wire a thin soup The words slender and thin can be used in similar contexts, but slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion. the slender legs of a Sheraton chair The synonyms slight and thin are sometimes interchangeable, but slight implies smallness as well as thinness. a slight build The words slim and thin are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness. a slim volume of poetry a slim chance In some situations, the words tenuous and thin are roughly equivalent. However, tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness. a tenuous thread Phrases Containing thin thin on the ground thin on the ground
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thin

adjective

verb

adverb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing thin

Kids Definition

adjective

verb

adjective

verb

Synonym Chooser

Phrases Containing thin