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 cooperative specializes in Zeter, a finer variety of Pulu made from especially soft wool from the necks and backs of sheep. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 Fortunately, Forbes Travel Guide has uncorked some insider tips for sampling Napa’s finest wines, including joining a wine club and taking a local class. — Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
The mayor urged the board to leverage its full enforcement authority to issue the order, including maximum financial fines against Lineage. — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 The critical issue for citizen suits is who — the government or private citizens — collects fines and has control. — Michael Phillis, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
However, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton was fined and suspended for five games after last Tuesday’s contest, when two girls sitting courtside in support of Cunnigham said Keaton cursed at them and called them insane. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton was suspended and fined after allegedly berating two young Cunningham fans who were sitting courtside for celebrating Cunningham's stance on women's sports. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Adverb
And while the late-’90s pivot from newsprint to Coke and Snickers worked fine for decades (there was plenty of demand for sugary snacks), that’s changing in the Ozempic and protein-maxxing era. — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 22 July 2026 Over thousands of years, traditional agricultural practices have fine tuned the region’s native avocado varieties, also known as landraces. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 July 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
  • The popular set tends to sell quickly, so consider grabbing one while fall-favorite shades like dusty olive, terracotta, and mauve are still in stock.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The wind is whistling through an enormous, dusty construction site, surrounded by highways, office towers and a sports arena.
    — Maria Aspan, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • The herbal shiso adds a subtle savory depth, delivering a clean, refreshing balance to the textures and flavor.
    — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Ask someone to review a two-hour video and identify subtle violations, and they are almost guaranteed to miss something.
    — Tal Lev-Ami, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • Farinacci often spent days and even weeks scouting potential fire locations, monitoring weather and wildfire data, and planning to set multiple fires to stretch firefighting resources thin, according to detectives.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Those moments are sobering reminders of just how thin the margins are for the Phillies rotation, which has been excellent for the most part, though extremely top-heavy.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • Being financially okay is about more than the size of an account balance.
    — Kristin Vance Richards, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Those local leaders who came in as Democrats five, six, seven years ago wanted to make shoplifting okay, kept the schools closed too long, they got repudiated by voters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of OK
Adjective
  • The interactions between Bourdain and Ciro are pure movie magic and that’s due partly to the performances — both actors have to be in the Oscar race — as well as to the screenplay by Johnson, Todd Bartels, Lou Howe and Matthew Miller.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • The prerequisite to knowing business value is a cost model that is comprehensive, accurate and trusted.
    — Udam Dewaraja, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • My son was diagnosed with a spontaneous variant resulting in Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, and my daughter ultimately received an accurate genetic diagnosis of Phelan-McDermid syndrome after years of unanswered questions.
    — Brad Quick, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of accurate
Adjective
  • New regulations required flameproof tents, safety training, and adequate available fire extinguishers.
    — Dr. Marianne Parshley, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Since students won’t come to campus in adequate numbers, sell the physical campus, dorms and recreational facilities.
    — Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of adequate
Adjective
  • These vines will also happily wind their way around tree trunks and shrubs and fix themselves in place with small rootlets that take on a hairy appearance as poison ivy plants mature.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Tidy a corner and play a favorite song, letting a small routine remind everyone that care comes through simple, repeatable acts.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 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 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fine

Nglish: Translation of fine for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All