fine 1 of 5

adjective

ˈfīn How to pronounce fine (audio)
Definition of finenext
1
as in dusty
consisting of very small particles the fine sand found on the island's beaches

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subtle
made or done with extreme care and accuracy the fine distinction between bravery and recklessness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in thin
being of less than usual width use a fine line for the outline of the facial features you intend to carve into the pumpkin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in OK
being to one's liking that arrangement is fine with me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in pure
free from added matter that silver is .9600 fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in accurate
meeting the highest standard of accuracy making the final fine adjustments on the car's GPS

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in adequate
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards the wine steward declared that the complaint of corkiness was unjustified and that the wine was fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in small
of a size that is less than average read the fine print

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in excellent
of the very best kind a fine performance of a classic ballet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in elegant
having qualities that appeal to a refined taste savored every morsel of the restaurant's fine cuisine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences hearing so fine that it can seemingly hear the tiniest twig snap

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in handsome
having or showing elegance a fine old structure in the city's historic district

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fine

2 of 5

noun

as in penalty
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment a $50 fine for speeding

Synonyms & Similar Words

fine

3 of 5

verb (1)

as in to impose
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty the police will fine you for driving with one headlight out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fine

4 of 5

verb (2)

as in to filter
to remove usually visible impurities from the use of egg shells to fine wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fine

5 of 5

adverb

as in good
in a satisfactory way you did just fine on the stress test

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fine
Adjective
The Familiar 'Magic' Returns Apple has left the MacBook Pro's keyboard and trackpad unchanged, which is fine by me. — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026 The techniques reveal fine details in the sun’s corona, which is white in this image. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
The Massachusetts man who pleaded guilty to trafficking wildlife was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $75,000 fine. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2026 In January 2024, the Pardons Board halved his sentence to six years and reduced his fine to 50 million ringgit. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
However, in the present, start fining the people who regularly use the high-occupancy lanes with a sole driver in it. — Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026 During the first half of 2026, 27 businesses were fined for price scanning errors. — Eva Flowe october 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Bose has also added its Cinema Mode spatial audio feature, which works fine. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026 In May, Michelin took away El Califa’s star and gave one to Once Mil, a fine-dining taquería in the posh neighborhood of Lomas de Chapultepec. — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fine
  1. dusty
  2. subtle
  3. thin
  4. OK
  5. pure
  6. accurate
  7. adequate
  8. small
Adjective
  • One tier down from Dithaba (both fiscally and geographically), Kapano is a few minutes’ walk down a dusty hill and follows a similar format, with four generous-sized rooms veering off the communal pool, bar, and alfresco deck dining area.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • From dusty heating vents to cluttered coat closets, these are the spots professional cleaners say deserve your attention now.
    — Brigitt Earley, Martha Stewart, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • One of Yoshitomo Nara’s largest paintings is also one of his most subtle.
    — Daniel Cassady for ARTnews, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026
  • With its choppy layers and subtle movement, the cut felt modern, refined, and perfectly in step with her evolving personal style.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • Its thin-film cadmium-telluride technology doesn't rely on the silicon supply chain.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In past years, people have repurposed the thin plastic from the signs to make school projects, as art canvases, and even model airplanes.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • And while the ports looked okay, only the exhaust side passed a vacuum test.
    — Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 31 Oct. 2026
  • CoreWeave, Nebius, and anyone that has backing or backstops from one of the major labs, hyperscalers, Nvidia, or Broadcom is going to be okay.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of OK
Adjective
  • However, removing these roses frees up space, reduces fungal disease and makes room for vigorous varieties that bring pure joy.
    — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But with Anthropic poised to become the first pure-play AI company to hit the public market, minting a number of new billionaires and many more millionaires in the process, a heightened level of scrutiny is coming.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • An accurate travel insurance comparison accounts for multiple factors.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The database was developed using portions of a commercially available version of California’s voter rolls that the government acknowledged might not be entirely accurate.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of accurate
Adjective
  • The financial complexity has increased, and adequate preparation needs to increase with it.
    — Adam Frank, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Can the city budget really not pay for an adequate fire department?
    — Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of adequate
Adjective
  • Murphy said doctors diagnosed him with a small hemorrhagic stroke, which is a bleed in the brain.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This design improves control over unwanted current leakage as transistors become smaller.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of small

Phrases Containing fine

Browse Nearby Words

finds out
fine
fined
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fine. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fine

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All