Main Entry: ¹thin

Pronunciation: \ˈthin\

Function: adjective

Inflected Form(s): thin·ner; thin·nest

Etymology: Middle English thinne, from Old English thynne; akin to Old High German dunni thin, Latin tenuis thin, tenēre to hold, tendere to stretch, Greek teinein

Date: before 12th century

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

— thin·ly adverb

— thin·ness \ˈthin-nəs\ noun

— thin·nish \ˈthi-nish\ adjective

— thin on the ground : scarce 1

synonyms 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>.