1
a
: having or being of relatively great depth or extent from one surface to its opposite
a thick plank
b
: heavily built : thickset
2
3
: measuring in thickness
12 inches thick
4
a
: imperfectly articulated : indistinct
thick speech
b
: plainly apparent : decided
a thick French accent
c
: producing inarticulate speech
a thick tongue
6
: associated on close terms : intimate
was quite thick with his pastor
7
: exceeding bounds of propriety or fitness : excessive
called it a bit thick to be fired without warning
thickly
adverb
1
: the most crowded or active part
in the thick of the battle
2
: the part of greatest thickness
the thick of the thumb
Synonyms
Examples of thick in a Sentence
Adjective
a thick layer of ice
a thick slice of ham
pizza with a thick crust
a bodybuilder with a thick, short body
The planks were two inches thick.
The log was 12 inches thick.
a dog with thick fur
She has thick, curly hair.
The fog was thick this morning.
Adverb
Apples hung thick on the trees.
Noun
in the thick of winter many Northerners are dreaming of tropical islands
Recent Examples on the Web
Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2024
But her skin has gotten thicker as her career has grown.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
Svelte bezels mark the side edges of the screen, though the top and bottom are thicker.
—PCMAG, 25 Apr. 2024
Resin feels thicker and sturdier while most plastics feel quite thin, flimsy, and brittle.
—Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2024
If the lentils are too thick, add a little hot water.
2.
—Priya Krishna, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
The plate is 26 millimeters thick, weighs 57.6 kilograms, and is attached to the ladder frame with more than 50 steel screws.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 24 Apr. 2024
Traditionally thicker and more viscous than essences, these boost hydration and help tackle skin concerns like acne, dullness, fine lines, and dark spots.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
This show-stopping legend is back to put her signature 'thick and juicy' talents to devastating use.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Apr. 2024
Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023
Cucinelli, however, isn’t one to play the purist: the collection also sees the designer dabble in fiber blends including a baby alpaca, wool and polyamide crewneck qnd a thick-looking mélange rollneck that is disarmingly composed of virgin wool, cashmere and silk.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2022
The gift boxes were a real standout in our evaluations as well, and our culinary pros especially loved the thick-cut and meaty bacon — no fatty, stingy slices here.
—Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping, 17 Feb. 2023
The tank top is also a thick-strapped, cropped style that mimics a sweater vest.
—Kayla Blanton, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2022
There's a thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel as well as a set of analog gauges.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 9 Dec. 2022
The homestyle diner serves breakfast and lunch from a scratch kitchen and features daily fresh-baked breads, thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon and freshly squeezed juices.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022
And even Bottega Veneta is into the thick-soled trend.
—Alexis Bennett, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2021
Wipe out the pan and cook the bacon over medium heat until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes for thick-cut bacon.
—Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 Sep. 2021
Jackie Wattles, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
This temporary group of cells releases hormones that keep the uterine lining thick and ready for a fertilized egg to implant.
—News & Views, Health, 23 Mar. 2024
Protests repeatedly run into hostile police opposition, Adra often throwing himself into the thick of conflict and clouds of teargas.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024
Visit Abisko National Park, centered in the Aurora Oval, where you’ll be treated to an incredible natural sky show, especially during the thick of the winter season.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Before finding themselves into the thick of showtime, Abergel told PEOPLE that the vibes of the getting-ready process in Handler's hotel room were upbeat and included Bob Marley tunes.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
On Tuesday's episode of (the freshly renewed) 9-1-1: Lone Star, Grace (Sierra McClain) steps out of the call center and into the thick of a dangerous organ-harvesting case.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 1 May 2023
Bowers took most of his recruiting visits in 2020, during the thick of the pandemic.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2023
The process is like a slowly maturing whisky, and standing in the thick of Flow Country puts the brevity of life into perspective.
—Aaron Hicklin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
Adjective
Add additional Champagne, 1 teaspoon at a time, if frosting is too thick.
—Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2024
But her skin has gotten thicker as her career has grown.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
Svelte bezels mark the side edges of the screen, though the top and bottom are thicker.
—PCMAG, 25 Apr. 2024
Resin feels thicker and sturdier while most plastics feel quite thin, flimsy, and brittle.
—Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2024
If the lentils are too thick, add a little hot water.
2.
—Priya Krishna, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
The plate is 26 millimeters thick, weighs 57.6 kilograms, and is attached to the ladder frame with more than 50 steel screws.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 24 Apr. 2024
Traditionally thicker and more viscous than essences, these boost hydration and help tackle skin concerns like acne, dullness, fine lines, and dark spots.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
This show-stopping legend is back to put her signature 'thick and juicy' talents to devastating use.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Apr. 2024
Adverb
For a slab of only a few inches (5 cm) thick, your line only needs to be about one-eighth of an inch (one-half cm) deep.
—Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023
Cucinelli, however, isn’t one to play the purist: the collection also sees the designer dabble in fiber blends including a baby alpaca, wool and polyamide crewneck qnd a thick-looking mélange rollneck that is disarmingly composed of virgin wool, cashmere and silk.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2022
The gift boxes were a real standout in our evaluations as well, and our culinary pros especially loved the thick-cut and meaty bacon — no fatty, stingy slices here.
—Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping, 17 Feb. 2023
The tank top is also a thick-strapped, cropped style that mimics a sweater vest.
—Kayla Blanton, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2022
There's a thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel as well as a set of analog gauges.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 9 Dec. 2022
The homestyle diner serves breakfast and lunch from a scratch kitchen and features daily fresh-baked breads, thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon and freshly squeezed juices.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022
And even Bottega Veneta is into the thick-soled trend.
—Alexis Bennett, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2021
Wipe out the pan and cook the bacon over medium heat until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes for thick-cut bacon.
—Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 Sep. 2021
Noun
As with every mission that returns from orbit, the vehicle had to dive back into the thick of the Earth’s atmosphere while still traveling at more than 17,000 miles per hour (27,359 kilometers per hour).
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
This temporary group of cells releases hormones that keep the uterine lining thick and ready for a fertilized egg to implant.
—News & Views, Health, 23 Mar. 2024
Protests repeatedly run into hostile police opposition, Adra often throwing himself into the thick of conflict and clouds of teargas.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024
Visit Abisko National Park, centered in the Aurora Oval, where you’ll be treated to an incredible natural sky show, especially during the thick of the winter season.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Before finding themselves into the thick of showtime, Abergel told PEOPLE that the vibes of the getting-ready process in Handler's hotel room were upbeat and included Bob Marley tunes.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
On Tuesday's episode of (the freshly renewed) 9-1-1: Lone Star, Grace (Sierra McClain) steps out of the call center and into the thick of a dangerous organ-harvesting case.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 1 May 2023
Bowers took most of his recruiting visits in 2020, during the thick of the pandemic.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2023
The process is like a slowly maturing whisky, and standing in the thick of Flow Country puts the brevity of life into perspective.
—Aaron Hicklin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near thick
Cite this Entry
“Thick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thick. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thick
1 of 3 adjective1
: having or being of great depth or extent from one surface to its opposite
a thick plank
2
: heavily built : thickset
3
a
: having units closely packed together : dense
a thick forest
b
: occurring in large numbers : numerous
flies were thick in the barn
c
: viscous sense 2
thick syrup
4
: marked by haze, fog, or mist
thick weather
5
: measuring in thickness
12 inches thick
6
a
: not clearly spoken
thick speech
b
: plainly obvious
a thick French accent
7
: stupid sense 1a
too thick to understand
8
: associated on close terms : intimate
those two are really thick
9
: going beyond what is proper or enough
the flattery was a bit thick
thickly
adverb
thick
2 of 3 noun1
: the most crowded or active part
in the thick of things
2
: the part of greatest thickness
the thick of the thumb
thick
3 of 3 adverb
: in a thick manner : so as to be thick : thickly
misfortunes came thick and fast
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