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.
composed of or containing objects, particles, etc., widely separated; sparse: thin vegetation.
scant; not abundant or plentiful.
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.
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,thin·ning.
to make thin or thinner (often followed by down, out, etc.).
verb (used without object),thinned,thin·ning.
to become thin or thinner; become reduced or diminished (often followed by down, out, off, etc.): The crowd is thinning out.
Origin of thin
First recorded before 900; (adjective and adverb) Middle English thyn(ne),Old English thynne; cognate with Dutch dun,German dünn,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
SYNONYMS FOR thin
3 slim, slender, skinny, lank, scrawny.
5 meager.
8 weak.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR thin ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for thin
3. 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.