dim

1 of 4

adjective

dimmer; dimmest
1
a
: emitting or having a limited or insufficient amount of light
dim stars
a dim lamp
a dim hallway
b
: dull, lusterless
dim colors
c
: lacking pronounced, clear-cut, or vigorous quality or character
a dim echo of the past
2
a
: seen indistinctly
a dim outline
b
: perceived by the senses or mind indistinctly or weakly : faint
had only a dim notion of what was going on
c
: having little prospect of favorable result or outcome
a dim future
d
: characterized by an unfavorable, skeptical, or pessimistic attitude
usually used in the phrase take a dim view of
takes a dim view of human nature
3
: dim-witted
too dim to understand the joke
4
: not perceiving clearly and distinctly
dim eyes
dimly adverb
dimmable adjective
dimness noun

dim

2 of 4

verb

dimmed; dimming

transitive verb

1
: to reduce the light from
dim the headlights
2
: to make dim or lusterless
dimmed their hopes of an early settlement

intransitive verb

: to become dim
the lights dimmed
their beauty had dimmed

dim

3 of 4

noun

1
automotive vehicles : low beam
2
archaic : dusk, dimness

dim

4 of 4

abbreviation

1
dimension
2
diminished
3
diminuendo
4
diminutive

Examples of dim in a Sentence

Adjective Just the dim outline of the building could be seen through the fog. I have a dim memory of your last visit. Verb The latest setback has dimmed hopes of an early settlement. Hopes of an early settlement have dimmed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
At the time of the call last summer, Trump Media, which owns Truth Social, faced a dim financial outlook. Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 But surely Mandy must have spent some time, during that night, gazing at the dim square of the bedroom skylight and thinking about the girl sleeping on the fold-out, who had been so unabashed about changing that Mandy had seen her young, buoyant breasts. Fiona McFarlane, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Gunn goes for a gritty, dim look to give the film the air of authentic social realism. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Brown portrayed Louis as dim, unrefined, lackadaisical, unhappily married and disinterested in much outside of boxing, sleeping, fishing, showgirls and Jimmie Lunceford swing songs. Tom Stanton, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024 In the dim light, the green can look extremely dark. Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024 Topline Inflation was much higher than economists anticipated last month, according to government data released Tuesday, a dim milestone as many eagerly await a growth-friendly shift from the Federal Reserve. Derek Saul, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The light emitted by the supernova became dim in the wavelengths our eyes can perceive, but then glowed brighter in infrared light. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 The fourth line, with Lettieri and Brandon Duhaime flanking center Lucchini, was the only consistently effective line for a Wild team trying to hang onto dim playoff hopes with now 32 regular-season games remaining. John Shipley, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2024
Verb
The 2020 Champions League winner visits Lazio on Wednesday with its aura dimmed despite Harry Kane’s 28 goals this season and coming through the group stage unbeaten for the sixth straight year. Graham Dunbar, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 There’s much more to like under the hood, too, such as a Mini LED panel capable of 2,000-nit peak brightness, 2,300 local dimming zones, and a 120Hz variable refresh rate for gaming. Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 9 Feb. 2024 There in the theatre, the lights would dim, the curtain would rise, the music would start, and my father would take my hand as the dancers took the stage. Emily Ziff Griffin, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2024 None of those concerns dimmed the optimism of Henri Specht, the director of the Olympic Village. Catherine Porter, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Another maddening loss dims UCLA’s March hopes Enjoying this newsletter? Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2024 But age had not dimmed the sparkle in her eyes and her vivacious spirit. Susan Young, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024 Time had not dimmed his ability to toss papers from the sidewalk onto porches with pinpoint accuracy. Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2024 While the franchise has undeniably been a juggernaut in pop culture, the luster that once defined its appeal seems to have dimmed over the last few seasons. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 5 Feb. 2024
Noun
After five minutes of submersion, chances of a rescue dim, said Dr. Michael Flaherty, a pediatric critical care physician and director of the Trauma & Injury Prevention Outreach Program at Mass General for Children. Sarah Raza, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 An auto dim feature allows users to sleep without the glow of a bright screen, so your dad can rest peacefully. Brandi Fuller, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2023 The soundtrack is melancholy and the lighting dim. Pamela Constable, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2022 Americans retain their faith in the American dream even as our prospects of upward mobility dim. New York Times, 5 Apr. 2022 The changes come as the city has been trying to decrease violent crime through policing and other methods, such as targeting blighted neighborhoods or areas with dim or no lighting. Dallas News, 9 Nov. 2022 And as fears about the pandemic dim in highly vaccinated countries after the wave of omicron variant infections, attention may be elsewhere. Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2022 Vic describes his wife as petulant, selfish, and a little dim, a spoiled child whose actions add up to little more than animalistic sensation seeking. Katie Rife, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2022 Like the planet Tatooine from Star Wars, two suns — one bright, one dim and red— rise over the horizon of Kepler 47d. Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dim.' 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, Verb, and Noun

Middle English, from Old English dimm; akin to Old High German timber dark

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 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Dictionary Entries Near dim

Cite this Entry

“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dim. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dim

1 of 2 adjective
dimmer; dimmest
1
: not bright or clear : obscure, faint
a dim light
2
: being without luster : dull
dim colors
3
a
: not seeing or understanding clearly
dim eyes
b
: not seen or understood clearly
had only a dim notion of what was going on
dimly adverb
dimness noun

dim

2 of 2 verb
dimmed; dimming
1
: to make or become dim
2
: to reduce the light from

Medical Definition

dim

abbreviation
diminished

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