trim

1 of 4

verb

ˈtrim 

trimmed; trimming

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove by or as if by cutting

trimmed thousands from federal payrolls

—Grit

b

: to make trim and neat especially by cutting or clipping

trim the hedges

c

: to free of excess or extraneous matter by or as if by cutting

trim a budget

trim down the inventory

2

: to embellish with or as if with ribbons, lace, or ornaments

trim the Christmas tree

the coat was trimmed with fur

3

a

: to administer a beating to : thrash

b

: defeat

trimmed me at chess

4

a(1)

: to cause (a ship) to assume a desirable position in the water by arrangement of ballast, cargo, or passengers

(2)

: to adjust (something, such as an airplane or submarine) for horizontal movement or for motion upward or downward

b

: to adjust (something, such as cargo or a sail) to a desired position

intransitive verb

1

a

: to maintain neutrality between opposing parties or to favor each equally

b

: to change one's views for reasons of expediency

2

: to assume or cause a boat to assume a desired position in the water

a boat that trims badly

trim

2 of 4

adjective

trimmer; trimmest

1

: exhibiting neatness, good order, or compactness of line or structure

a trim beard

trim lawns

… a trim, well-built beach house not far from a spanking new superhighway.

—The Saturday Review

2

: slim and physically fit

kept himself trim by biking every day

His lithe student, trim in a tennis dress, watched while holding her racquet on her shoulder.

—E. L. Doctorow

3

: ready for service or use

4

obsolete : excellent, fine

trimly adverb

trimness noun

trim

3 of 4

adverb

: in a trim manner : trimly

—used chiefly in combination

the trim-cut forest vistas

—W. M. Thackeray

trim

4 of 4

noun

1

: a haircut that neatens a previous haircut

2

a

: material used for ornament or trimming

b

: the material (such as wood, stone, or vinyl) in the finish of a building especially around openings

But now, marble is back in style with a vengeance, in demand for building facades, interior trim and finishes.

—David Roberts

In home building, carpenters build the house framework, frame the roof and interior partitions, and install doors, windows, flooring, cabinets, wood paneling, and molding and trim.

—Occupational Outlook Handbook

c

: the interior furnishings of an automobile

d

: one's clothing or appearance

3

: suitable or excellent condition

tries to keep in trim

4

a

: the position of a ship or boat especially with reference to the horizontal

also : the difference between the draft of a ship forward and that aft

b

: the relation between the plane of a sail and the direction of the ship

c

: the buoyancy status of a submarine

d

: the attitude of a lighter-than-air craft relative to a fore-and-aft horizontal plane

e

: the attitude with respect to wind axes at which an airplane will continue in level flight with free controls

5

: something that is trimmed off or cut out

Phrases

trim one's sails

: to adjust oneself or one's actions to prevailing conditions

compromise or trim your sails to suit the political winds

—Philip Johnston

Synonyms

Verb

• beat
• best
• conquer
• defeat
• dispatch
• do down [British]
• get
• get around
• lick
• master
• overbear
• overcome
• overmatch
• prevail (over)
• skunk
• stop
• subdue
• surmount
• take
• triumph (over)
• upend
• win (against)
• worst

Adjective

• antiseptic
• bandbox
• crisp
• groomed
• kempt
• neat
• orderly
• picked up
• prim
• shipshape
• smug
• snug
• tidied
• tidy
• trig
• uncluttered
• well-groomed

Noun

• condition
• estate
• fettle
• form
• health
• keeping
• kilter
• nick [British]
• order
• repair
• shape

Examples of trim in a Sentence

Verb

The hedges need to be trimmed.

They are looking for ways to trim the budget.

We trimmed the Christmas tree.

a pillow trimmed in lace

Adjective

She has a trim figure.

He keeps fit and trim by biking.

Noun

a skirt with lace trim

the doctor declared her to be in good trim for the race

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

However, on Friday, the Federal Bureau of Prisons' online inmate search system indicated that the Chrisley family patriarch will now be released nearly two years before his 12-year sentence was originally intended to finish, while Julie's seven-year sentence was trimmed by 14 months. —Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2023

Clean off the outside of the container, trim protruding roots, then place the plant back in your home. —Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2023

Pinch edges of dough together, trimming excess to 1 inch, and crimp. —Torie Cox, Country Living, 8 Sep. 2023

The Performance trim upgrades to 20-inchers with Continental SportContact 6 summer rubber, but folks hunting for a middle ground can swap out the lesser trims' 19s for optional 20s with Continental PremiumContact 6 summer tires. —Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 6 Sep. 2023

Costway 7-Foot Snow Flocked Christmas Tree Now 63 percent off ahead of the holidays, this 7-footer is trimmed with artificial pine cones, red berries, and glittery flocking. —Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2023

The price increases have come amid still-hot weather in Texas, the nation’s top consumer of natural gas on a state-by-state basis, which has boosted cooling demand and helped to trim an inventory surplus to less than 9% above normal. —WSJ, 1 Sep. 2023

Americans are continuing to trim discretionary spending or trading down to off-price and discount retailers. —Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2023

The Chicago Bears waived offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood on Sunday, marking the second straight year that the former first-round draft pick from Alabama has been released as NFL teams trimmed their preseason rosters to the regular-season limit. —Mark Inabinett | [e-mail], al, 27 Aug. 2023

Adjective

That trim, plus the gray seats and black dash, comprise an interior more austere than Henry Hyde's shoes. —John Phillips, Car and Driver, 6 Sep. 2023

The only noticeable flaw in her trim and tidy presentability was a slight deformity. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2023

His face is tanned and sinewy, with a trim white beard. —Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023

The present headquarters of the Andy Warhol Factory are, despite the raffish image, surprisingly elegant and ordered: typewriters click, business machines whir, telephones ring and are answered by trim and efficient secretaries. —Stephen Birmingham, Town & Country, 10 Aug. 2023

Lisa selected windows with a black finish and painted the trim dark gray to frame the scenery. —Laura Fenton, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023

Chrysler dealers will inspect and replace the trim pieces, if necessary, at no cost to the owner. —Kate Perez, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2023

As Eddie worked to revamp his yard sale finds, a talented team of professionals worked to turn the room into a crisp, clean canvas with Benjamin Moore paint for the walls, trim, and ceiling and white Dixie Home carpet for the floor. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2023

Black appears on the doors, trim, and picture frames to inject a modern edge to the soft palette. —Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023

Adverb

Sturdy but comfortable, this 1901 shirt is trim-tailored and comes in two colors, Grey Magnet Oxford and Blue White Bengal Stripe. —Alicia Kortendick, al, 15 Apr. 2020

Eliminating the resources that are underutilized, making the budget as trim as possible. —Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2018

Noun

Williams, whose opening pre-match outfit for the US Open went viral last week, wore a black Lacoste jumpsuit with white trim and see-through details. —Mario Abad, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2023

The blanket is made from a viscose from bamboo and cotton blend with 100% cotton trim. —Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2023

Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive can be added to any trim, and both setups utilize a CVT. —Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, 8 Sep. 2023

There are 20 different steps and over 17 meters of trim for each bag. —Isiah Magsino, Town & Country, 25 Aug. 2023

The 380 will be offered with an exclusive paint color, black 19-inch wheels from the Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, and standard adaptive dampers on all trims. —Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 30 Aug. 2023

From beautiful potted plants to colored trim on the porch and even decorative pillows, adding in some color will transform your wraparound porch. —Taylor Augustin, House Beautiful, 30 Aug. 2023

Cutler recommends throw pillows that feature intricate details, like a unique trim or beading (think of them almost like jewelry for your sofa, says Cutler). —Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2023

On the Turbo, the sound of the twin-turbo V-8 then fills the cabin, a delightful but refined roar that is slightly boosted in amplitude by the car’s sound system, still provided by Burmester on higher trims. —Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from Middle English *trimmen to prepare, put in order, from Old English trymian, trymman to strengthen, arrange, from trum strong, firm; probably akin to Old English trēo tree, wood — more at tree entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1521, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Adjective

circa 1521, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1529, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1593, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing trim

• in trim
• trim down
• trim one's sails
• trim size

• in trim
• trim down
• trim one's sails
• trim size

Kids Definition

trim

1 of 4 verb

ˈtrim 

trimmed; trimming

1

: to decorate with ribbons, lace, or ornaments : adorn

trim a Christmas tree

a jacket trimmed with leather

2

: to defeat in a game or contest

3

a

: to make trim and neat especially by cutting or clipping

trim the bushes

trimmed her hair

b

: to free of excess or unnecessary matter by or as if by cutting

trim a steak

trim a budget

4

: to cause (as a ship) to take the right position in the water by balancing the load carried

5

: to adjust (as an airplane or submarine) for horizontal movement or for motion upward or downward

6

: to adjust (as a sail) to a desired position

trimmer noun

trim

2 of 4 adjective

trimmer; trimmest

1

: ready for service or use

2

: slim and physically fit

keeps trim by jogging

3

: neat, orderly, and compact in line or structure

a trim house

trimly adverb

trimness noun

trim

3 of 4 adverb

: in a trim manner : trimly

trim

4 of 4 noun

1

: good or healthy condition : fitness

2

a

: material used for ornament or trimming

b

: the woodwork in the finish of a building especially around doors and windows

3

a

: the position of a ship or boat especially with reference to the horizontal

b

: the relation between the plane of a sail and the direction of the ship

c

: the position of an airplane at which it will continue in level flight with no adjustments to the controls

4

: something that is trimmed off or cut out

5

: a haircut that neatens a previous haircut

Geographical Definition

Trim

geographical name

ˈtrim 

town in eastern Ireland area population 8268

Note: Trim is the capital of County Meath.