thin
adjective /θɪn/
/θɪn/
(comparative thinner, superlative thinnest)
Idioms - having a smaller distance between opposite sides or surfaces than other similar objects or than normal
- Cut the vegetables into thin strips.
- A number of thin cracks appeared in the wall.
- The body was hidden beneath a thin layer of soil.
- Palm trees cast long, thin shadows on the lawn.
- He knew that the ice was too thin to risk crossing the river.
- a thin blouse (= of light cloth)
Extra Examples- a plate of wafer-thin bread and butter
- a sliver of rock thin enough to be translucent
- She pinched her thin lips together.
- The wind blew cold through his thin shirt.
- Water forms a thin film between the tyre and the road.
- (sometimes disapproving) (of a person or part of the body) not covered with much fat or muscle
- He was tall and thin, with dark hair.
- She was looking pale and thin.
- How do you stay so thin?
- He is as thin as a rake (= very thin).
- thin legs
Vocabulary Building Saying that somebody is thinSaying that somebody is thinThin is the most usual word:see also pencil-thin- Steve is tall and thin and has brown hair.
- Mother looked thin and tired after her long illness.
- Slim means pleasantly thin. It is often used to describe women who have controlled their weight by diet or exercise:
- She has a beautifully slim figure.
- A slender girl or woman is thin and graceful.
- A lean man is thin and fit.
- Willowy describes a woman who is attractively tall and thin.
- Skinny means very thin, often in a way that is not attractive:
- a skinny little kid.
- Bony describes parts of the body when they are so thin that the bones can be seen:
- the old man’s bony hands.
- Scrawny suggests that a person is thin, weak and not attractive:
- a scrawny old woman.
- Gaunt describes a person who is a little too thin and looks sad or ill.
- Underweight is used in medical contexts to describe people who are too thin because they are ill or have not had enough food:
- Women who smoke risk giving birth to underweight babies.
- Emaciated describes a serious condition resulting from illness or not enough food.
- Anorexic is a medical term, but is also used informally to describe somebody, especially a girl or woman, who is so thin that you are worried about them.
Extra ExamplesTopics Appearancea2- How do you manage to stay so thin?
- The old horse was painfully thin.
- not growing closely together or in large amounts
- thin grey hair
- containing more liquid than is normal or expected synonym runny
- The sauce was thin and tasteless.
- The paint looks a bit thin.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- fairly easy to see through
- They fought their way through where the smoke was thinner.
- containing less oxygen than normal
- Humans would not be able to survive in the thin atmosphere of the planet.
- (disapproving) high and weak
- Her thin voice trailed off into silence.
- not sincere or enthusiastic
- He gave a thin smile.
- not very bright
- the thin grey light of dawn
- of poor quality; without an important quality
- a thin excuse (= one that people are not likely to believe)
- Their arguments all sound a little thin to me.
- The general standard of applicants is pretty thin this year.
Extra Examples- His knowledge of the country was somewhat thin.
- The evidence seems awfully thin.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- spread something (too) thin
- stretch something (too) thin
- thin on the ground
- …
not thick
not fat
hair
liquid
smoke
air
sound
smile
light
poor quality
Word OriginOld English thynne, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dun and German dünn, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin tenuis.
Idioms
be skating/walking on thin ice
- to be taking a risk
disappear, vanish, etc. into thin air
- to disappear suddenly in a mysterious way
- She can’t just have vanished into thin air.
- At a stroke she could make things vanish into thin air.
have a thin time (of it)
- (British English, informal) to have many problems or difficulties to deal with; to not be successful
- He’s had a thin time of it since losing his job.
out of thin air
- from nowhere or nothing, as if by magic
- Unfortunately, I can’t just conjure up the money out of thin air!
spread yourself too thin
- to try to do so many different things at the same time that you do not do any of them well
- With four markets to manage, there's a danger that's she's spreading herself too thin.
thick/thin on the ground
- (British English) if people or things are thick/thin on the ground, there are a lot/not many of them in a place
- Customers are thin on the ground at this time of year.
- Security officers were thick on the ground during the King’s visit.
the thin end of the wedge
- (especially British English) an event or action that is the beginning of something more serious and/or unpleasant
- The introduction of a tax on workplace parking is seen by many as the thin end of the wedge.
thin/bald on top
- (informal) with little or no hair on the head
- He's starting to get a little thin on top (= he's losing his hair).
- He's going bald on top.
a thin skin
- the lack of ability to accept criticism, offensive remarks, etc. without becoming upset
- You shouldn’t be in politics if you have such a thin skin.
through thick and thin
- even when there are problems or difficulties
- He's supported the team for over ten years through thick and thin.
- In marriage, you have to stick together through thick and thin.
walk/tread a fine/thin line (between A and B)
- to be in a difficult or dangerous situation where you could easily make a mistake
- He was walking a fine line between being funny and being rude.
- She often seems to tread a thin line between success and failure.
Extra Examples- His comedy treads the line between shocking and sickening.
- We have to walk a fine line to make sure we don't promote one brand more than another.
- His buildings walk the thin line between visionary and completely mad.
wear thin
- to begin to become weaker or less acceptable
- These excuses are wearing a little thin (= because we've heard them so many times before).
- My patience is beginning to wear very thin.