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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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
Megan Eaves, Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
Entitled also makes a compelling case that Andrew is—to put it delicately—boorish and dim.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Anika Reed, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
As the coverage increases to about 80%, shadows on the ground begin to sharpen and lose their fuzzy edges, the light around you dims, and shadows start to look curved, Young explained.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Adjective
Lighting throughout the camp is deliberately subdued, with warm-temperature luminaires and dim solar path lights that create minimal pollution and allow for maximum Milky Way views.
—Megan Eaves, Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
Entitled also makes a compelling case that Andrew is—to put it delicately—boorish and dim.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
When the lights dimmed, models strutted through the rows to the stage, showcasing workwear silhouettes that reflect the history and continued influence of Asian Americans in the workforce.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
As the coverage increases to about 80%, shadows on the ground begin to sharpen and lose their fuzzy edges, the light around you dims, and shadows start to look curved, Young explained.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim
Adjective
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As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
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Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Lewis previously shared a vague post on social media after Del Rio's firing was initially reported in October.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
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By contrast, Paramount offers only a vague promise to use tech from Papa Larry Ellison’s Oracle to reshape the creaky Paramount+ into something bigger and better.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Hegseth’s harsh punishment is the culmination of a long, slow slide that began with a political disagreement.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
28 Feb. 2026
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The company didn’t break out Marni revenues, but Marni’s growth has been slower than that of other OTB labels, Diesel and Margiela, in recent years.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thick plumes of black smoke obscured the sky over Puerto Vallarta.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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During his return trip, the subject tried to obscure the camera with foliage.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Both teams wore their dark jerseys for the 266th meeting between the teams and UCLA improved to 150-116 in a series dating to 1928 when UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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In all, eight of the 28 shows lost a performance (many productions are dark on Sunday nights anyway), and most took significant box office blows.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Being in my late 50s, getting cosmetic treatments to tackle sagginess, wrinkles, fine lines, and a dull complexion has certainly crossed my mind.—
Cathy Nelson,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
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Wipe off any excess so the pan looks dull, not shiny.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Only a small, faint population of stars would exist at the center of these galaxies, which could be identifiable through the detection of several globular clusters bound together.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Mar. 2026
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First, the moon enters the faint outer shadow of the Earth, or the penumbra, where dimming is subtle; this is the penumbral eclipse.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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He was accused of being racist and of calling black people dumb.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Mar. 2026
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Arte Moreno has said and done a lot of dumb things in his 23 years as owner of the Angels, but last week’s pronouncement that Angel fans don’t care about winning was downright senseless.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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