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
He was given an option to bypass jail by paying a $250 fine and providing the filings within a week. — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026 But another frontier remains to be realized, one in which MU ascends from this fine plateau to make good on the sort of top-tier promise implied by the school’s now-enormous commitment to football. — Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
Dorsey uses solid gold (as well as sterling silver), meaning its pieces are not classified as demi-fine, but a Dorsey diamond tennis necklace will set you back up to $20,000, rather than upwards of $30,000 to $40,000 for a natural diamond version. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026 Wiley agreed to spend 15 days in jail and one year on probation, pay a $1,040 fine, take an anger management course and have no contact with the victim. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
That puts the deadline on September 23, after which Google can be fined up to 5 percent of its global revenue under the DMA. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026 The 12 defendants, including Khalifa, were sentenced to death by hanging and fined 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($9,800) by Cairo’s Criminal Court, the al-Ahram newspaper reported. — Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Adverb
On the plus side, the viewing angle is pretty wide at 178 degrees, so even four people wide, taking turns playing games, will all see the screen just fine. — Joe Salas august 28, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026 And Kaya, apparently, has adapted to the rock-star lifestyle just fine. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 27 Aug. 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
  • Saharan dust, a mass of dry, dusty air, can inhibit the development of tropical systems and storms.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Purple Haze From smoky lilac to rich plum, from wine red to dusty mauve, the purple palette reigns supreme this time of year.
    — Joy Montgomery, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • That possibility, however subtle, may have helped drive the legal chaos that unfolded in Baton Rouge just 48 hours before LSU was scheduled to take the field.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Birdseye maple recurs as a detail on furniture and banisters, along with subtle copper details and velvet seating.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • Deposition systems add extremely thin layers of material onto a silicon wafer.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the thin line between moving on to play for an NFC championship and trudging into the heaviest first stage of the offseason.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • In the laundry room, Gen asks Kat if things are okay between them.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Aparacio admits that most of won’t be able to keep up with that schedule and says six months is okay, too, and that particular chore can be saved for the big season changes and cleaning that comes with winter and summer.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of OK
Adjective
  • Swift was born into the Anglo-Irish Protestant elite, and the text satires both the callousness of his class and a then-ascendant approach to morality and politics that held that all aspects of life could be cooked down to a pure numerical value.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, Bier recognizes the pure joy of seeing these women drinking margaritas again, resulting in a vivid and sweet celebration that gradually reframes aging as a process of gaining power rather than losing it.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • Suffice it to say, a QB's rookie year is not always an accurate portrayal of the player that QB will become.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • However, according to veterinarians, this calculation isn't always accurate.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of accurate
Adjective
  • Lyft also doesn’t fingerprint its drivers unless required by law and doesn’t provide adequate background checks, the lawsuit alleged.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The state health department said North Carolina has an adequate supply of prophylaxis and would provide it to anyone who needs it.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of adequate
Adjective
  • Then handle the smaller responsibilities competing for your attention.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Its compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fine

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 hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All