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
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 29 May 2026
Director-writer Kane Parsons was inspired by the creepypasta image of a dim and fluorescently lit yellow room to craft this horror.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Google also announced that Gemini for Home users can now ask the voice assistant to trigger multiple actions in a single verbal command, such as telling it to lower the blinds, dim the lights, set a 20-minute timer, and start your favorite podcast.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Adjective
But extremely long-exposure images reveal that Malin 1’s spiral arms include very dim and intricate extensions that span a staggering 650,000 light-years, making this galaxy approximately six times wider than the Milky Way!
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 29 May 2026
Director-writer Kane Parsons was inspired by the creepypasta image of a dim and fluorescently lit yellow room to craft this horror.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Verb
Throw together a charcuterie board, grab some comfy cushions and pillows, and add a few throw blankets—then, dim your outdoor lights and pull out your favorite board games.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Google also announced that Gemini for Home users can now ask the voice assistant to trigger multiple actions in a single verbal command, such as telling it to lower the blinds, dim the lights, set a 20-minute timer, and start your favorite podcast.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim
Adjective
-
She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Government warnings are often vague or late.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
Lisabeth Pérez Castle, the city’s independent monitor, said in a statement that the vague new approach to discipline does not clearly explain how safety officials will comply with city laws regarding the monitor’s oversight.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Recovery of the bodies has been slow because of the chemicals and other hazards present at the site, Amos explained.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
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One of the most painful things about this disease is knowing that promising treatments are emerging, but funding barriers and manufacturing and procedural slow-downs continue to derail progress.—
Elise Esposito,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In transportation, technology must support human judgment, not obscure it.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
What, then, is being obscured—beyond the view?—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
If the second section presents the diagnosis, then in the footnote to Howl Ginsberg writes a prescription, because if we’re oppressed by a dark faith then the only antidote is a different one.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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Villains could hide in the giant banyan tree or lurk in the spookily dark new flotation room; a fight scene might involve someone crashing down the waterfall-wall in the centre of the wellness centre.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
And that would be a very dull experience.—
Alex Zalben,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
-
And red decorations in urban bowers were more vivid, and the green items duller, than in rural bowers.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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And yes, that sound will dissipate and soon will be too faint for my human ears as it is absorbed into space, but Renee Gladman writes that spaces moan.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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The mission of a T-AGOS ship depends heavily on detecting faint underwater sounds produced by submarines operating hundreds of miles away.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Nate Bargatze is not a dumb guy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
-
And what is dumber than a fart?—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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