thin

1 of 3

adjective

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 noun
thinnish 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
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-clad
thin-flowing
Phrases
thin on the ground
Choose the Right Synonym for thin

thin, slender, slim, slight, tenuous 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

slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry
a slim chance

slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

Examples of thin in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Authorities have described one of the suspects as a Hispanic male adult in his 20s, with a thin build and wearing a yellow weather jacket and blue jeans. Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The membrane is thin: the semiconductor layer is just 4 micrometers thick, stabilized on a 21 µm polymer matrix. IEEE Spectrum, 16 Mar. 2024 Children could build cars, airplanes and machines with thin metal sheets and bars held together by tiny nuts and bolts. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 The socks are thin enough to be worn in layers for extra warmth during cold-weather training but also supportive enough to wear alone. Nsisong Bassey, Verywell Health, 15 Mar. 2024 As a result, the team’s shortstop depth was so thin at times that Betts started 12 games at the position himself. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Plastic wrap is made of thin sheets of polyethylene combined with a few extra adhesives. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2024 The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 Charlotte-area elections that finished with thin margins include county-level races in Cabarrus, Gaston and Iredell counties as well as a state legislature seat. Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
Maintain –Keep an eye on fruiting trees and begin thinning for optimum growth, stone fruit such as peaches and nectarines should be thinned 5-7 inches apart while smaller varieties can be kept slightly closer on the branch. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Avoid inlets, outlets or narrow that may have current that can thin the ice. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Ukraine’s more professional units are exhausted by two years of non-stop combat, their ranks thinned by casualties. Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 The soup should be brothy—add hot water to thin it if necessary. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024 Industry observers also say the gap between Orlando’s biggest park operators appears to be thinning. Dewayne Bevil, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024 Red lentils subbed in nicely for the green, and tomato paste thinned with broth replaced the tomato sauce. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 5 Jan. 2024 While Míchel’s side had proven to be deep in previously undiscovered talent, its defense has been thinned after apparently minor injuries to Éric García and David López. Joseph Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 In most cases, hair growth with thinning shampoo usage will typically grow back at a speed of ½ an inch per month. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024
Adverb
With the majority so thin, McCarthy effectively gave Gaetz the power to remove him. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Some like small strips of pastry dropped into the bubbling pot, either free-form and puffy or rolled thin and cut like noodles. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2023 As Pakistan approaches fresh elections on Feb. 8, the 71-year-old’s chances of a comeback appear gossamer thin, despite retaining broad public support. Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Jan. 2024 Border enforcement resources have been stretched thin, resulting in reallocation of agents to assist with processing asylum requests. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2024 With as many recruits as teams bring in, the social teams can be spread thin trying to photograph every family. Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023 The colors are flat, the lines uniform and thin, the pages strict grids of small panels. Gabriel Winslow-Yost, The New York Review of Books, 29 June 2023 The very deepest lows thin out somewhat at maximum volume levels (digital signal processing, or DSP, kicks in to prevent distortion), but the speaker still gets plenty loud and produces full, deep bass at moderate volume settings. PCMAG, 18 Sep. 2023 Putin seeks further support for his war in Ukraine as military resources are stretched thin, while Kim's regime is pushing for assistance with its space program and its desiccated economy. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 13 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of thin was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thin

Cite this Entry

“Thin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thin

1 of 2 adjective
thinner; thinnest
1
: having little extent from one surface to its opposite
thin paper
2
: having widely scattered units
thin hair
3
: having too little flesh
a tall thin boy
4
: less dense than normal
thin air
5
: lacking substance or strength
thin broth
thin excuses
6
: somewhat weak or shrill
a thin voice
thinly adverb
thinness noun

thin

2 of 2 verb
thinned; thinning
1
: to make or become thin
2
: to reduce in number especially to prevent crowding
thin young carrots in the garden

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