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
dimmed; dimming
1
: to reduce the light from
dim the headlights
2
: to make dim or lusterless
dimmed their hopes of an early settlement
: to become dim
the lights dimmed
their beauty had dimmed
1
dimension
2
diminished
3
diminuendo
4
diminutive
Synonyms
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
Nancy Einhart, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2023
That’s somewhat similar to the iPhone’s Deep Fusion computational photography feature, which compensates for dim lighting by taking several pictures at once within a fraction of a second and blends them together after processing them at the pixel level to pull out lighting, color, and tone detail.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Dec. 2023
Good lighting is essential for a productive workspace, so consider installing new light fixtures to brighten up a dim closet.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023
The scientists caught the jellyfish, which are abundant in Norway’s fjords, with fine mesh nets and brought them below deck of their research vessel for study in dim rooms illuminated with red light.
—Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Advertisement Sixty feet away, in the dim light where the pins stand, those black strings tend to disappear.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
The romance between Rustin and the preacher exists in the shadows — under the dim lights of a nearby bar or behind the blinds in Rustin’s home.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2023
The object will look like a dim light moving through the sky just ahead of the fast-moving and much brighter space station.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
Whether or not the proposal can fully account for the entire zoo of dim, starless worlds remains to be seen.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
As the sky dimmed to pitch black, a glowing ring (safely visible through eclipse-viewing glasses) materialized above.
—Maya Silver, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2023
Riley’s loyalty to Grinch last offseason, more than anything else, is what has dimmed the shine from USC’s one-time savior.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
The Air 2 Pro, which starts at $449, will give you one big extra feature: dimming control, an option that uses electrochromatic glass to control how much light is allowed through the glasses, ranging from full transparency to a blackout tint.
—Adi Robertson, The Verge, 24 Oct. 2023
But an eclipse dims the sun much faster and can do it at an inconvenient time of day.
—Gregory Barber, WIRED, 13 Oct. 2023
Victory would turn him into a big GOP star; defeat would dim those ambitions.
—Mark Murray, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
Near-term rain prospects are dim Our forecast for November gently leans toward drier-than-normal conditions persisting.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Byrd and Blow’s transformations of the space slow our heartbeats and unify our breathing as the lights dim, and a muted, shifting soundscape envelops the room: the huffing of bison, the thrum of a tractor, the rising and falling surge of an expressway.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
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
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Adjective
Often, digital nomads will have to take video calls in dim lighting or dark rooms, which makes for a grainy and unprofessional-looking picture.
—Nancy Einhart, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2023
That’s somewhat similar to the iPhone’s Deep Fusion computational photography feature, which compensates for dim lighting by taking several pictures at once within a fraction of a second and blends them together after processing them at the pixel level to pull out lighting, color, and tone detail.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Dec. 2023
Good lighting is essential for a productive workspace, so consider installing new light fixtures to brighten up a dim closet.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023
The scientists caught the jellyfish, which are abundant in Norway’s fjords, with fine mesh nets and brought them below deck of their research vessel for study in dim rooms illuminated with red light.
—Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Advertisement Sixty feet away, in the dim light where the pins stand, those black strings tend to disappear.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
The romance between Rustin and the preacher exists in the shadows — under the dim lights of a nearby bar or behind the blinds in Rustin’s home.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2023
The object will look like a dim light moving through the sky just ahead of the fast-moving and much brighter space station.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
Whether or not the proposal can fully account for the entire zoo of dim, starless worlds remains to be seen.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
Verb
As compute gets cheaper, faster, and lower power, and storage for the dimming algorithms gets cheaper, more data can be stored, which can be useful to some compensation algorithms.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
As the sky dimmed to pitch black, a glowing ring (safely visible through eclipse-viewing glasses) materialized above.
—Maya Silver, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2023
Riley’s loyalty to Grinch last offseason, more than anything else, is what has dimmed the shine from USC’s one-time savior.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
The Air 2 Pro, which starts at $449, will give you one big extra feature: dimming control, an option that uses electrochromatic glass to control how much light is allowed through the glasses, ranging from full transparency to a blackout tint.
—Adi Robertson, The Verge, 24 Oct. 2023
But an eclipse dims the sun much faster and can do it at an inconvenient time of day.
—Gregory Barber, WIRED, 13 Oct. 2023
Victory would turn him into a big GOP star; defeat would dim those ambitions.
—Mark Murray, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
Near-term rain prospects are dim Our forecast for November gently leans toward drier-than-normal conditions persisting.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Byrd and Blow’s transformations of the space slow our heartbeats and unify our breathing as the lights dim, and a muted, shifting soundscape envelops the room: the huffing of bison, the thrum of a tractor, the rising and falling surge of an expressway.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
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
See More
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
Phrases Containing dim
Dictionary Entries Near dim
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dim. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
dim
2 of 2 verb
dimmed; dimming
1
: to make or become dim
2
: to reduce the light from
Medical Definition
dim
abbreviation
diminished
More from Merriam-Webster on dim
Nglish: Translation of dim for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dim for Arabic Speakers
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