1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
a dim, windowless room in the basement of the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dulled
lacking a surface luster or gloss
over time, exposure to ultraviolet light will make bright pigments turn dim
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3
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
have only a dim knowledge of the subject
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4
as in slow
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
our dog is kind of dim, but very sweet-natured
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as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the storm clouds dimmed our view of the city from the airplane
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dim
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
In the play, Tesman is described as portly and characterized as distinctly dim, and feels too soft to even foster real, passionate envy of Lovborg.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
Ten minutes later — now 200 feet deeper into the cave — Tim's light began to dim and then flickered out.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dim
Adjective
Because of its distance from both the Sun and Earth, 3I/ATLAS will remain too dim to be seen without a telescope on Wednesday.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
In the play, Tesman is described as portly and characterized as distinctly dim, and feels too soft to even foster real, passionate envy of Lovborg.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
The power of that moment didn’t end when the lights dimmed.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
Ten minutes later — now 200 feet deeper into the cave — Tim's light began to dim and then flickered out.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim
Adjective
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By becoming the light in a darkened world, everyone becomes a firefly that helps to illuminate the way back home to each other.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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If things are left too loosey-goosey and vague, that can result in mixed expectations within your organization.—
Kathleen Walch,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
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That precise sensation—a vague disquietude, a vexation—is central to the band’s distinctiveness.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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When visiting the exhibit, plan on taking your time to make the most of it, or what the American Federation of Arts calls slow looking.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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While Beijing uses code names to obscure some of their military projects, CNN’s research revealed – and then pinpointed – the sites.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Shiri’s face was obscured by an image originally created by Vancouver street artist iHeart.—
Gabriele Regalbuto,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The sky was cloudless and dark with the moon’s light now below the horizon.—
Sheeka Sanahori,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
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Bordered by antique wood pillar columns, the custom wood and glass front doors lead into a rotunda foyer displaying dark polished hardwood floors that run throughout the interiors.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, watching Charles attempt to insert himself into the Garfield Administration by forging papers and sneaking into buildings feels repetitive and a bit dull.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
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Their life in Watertown had been ordinary, maybe even dull sometimes.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The program’s pulse felt faint, its identity slipping further with each loss.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The short uses stylized 3D and deadpan timing to explore routine, irritation and faint absurdity.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As Legally Blonde's Elle Woods, Witherspoon charted a memorable path from dumb blonde to Harvard Law School graduate.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
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Celebrities fight it out to be eliminated from the competition as quickly as possible to avoid being crowned the nation’s dumbest.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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