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
Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
The bed is surrounded by almost 360 degrees of glass, and schools of fish, octopus and squid regularly travel by (at night, dim lights are activated to attract nocturnal marine life).
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 28 Jan. 2026
Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 28 Jan. 2026
That might look like putting on your favorite sexy music, dimming the lights, or even just taking a few breaths.
—Zahra Thompson, SELF, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Adjective
Grow lights can supplement natural sunlight or replace it entirely in dim rooms.
—Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
The bed is surrounded by almost 360 degrees of glass, and schools of fish, octopus and squid regularly travel by (at night, dim lights are activated to attract nocturnal marine life).
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
Now, as the lights dim and the Estelle glassware catches the glow, the room shifts into a casual wine‑bar mood — equal parts vacation postcard and neighborhood hangout.
—Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 28 Jan. 2026
That might look like putting on your favorite sexy music, dimming the lights, or even just taking a few breaths.
—Zahra Thompson, SELF, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim
Adjective
-
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
-
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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But ask them the why of this business, and the answers are usually vague.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Sheinbaum has been incredibly vague about where her country stood, and this week has given roundabout and ambiguous answers to inquiries about the shipments, and dodged reporters questions in her morning press briefings.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some folks who were moving a little slow, some folks wanted to dilute the Canadiana or the Big C Canadian of it.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In practice, the process is slow, burdensome, and uncertain.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The video is obscured at that point.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Mendonça uses these surreal flourishes to reimagine the country of his youth—a place where gruesome crimes were committed by people determined to obscure the evidence.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a world that can feel increasingly dark and divided, this film reminds us all that everyone, everywhere deserves love.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Ava Phillippe tapped into the Ralph Lauren aesthetic with rugged dark wash shirt and jeans, pulled together with worn-in brown leather accessories and jacket.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But all work and no play can make for a dull chief medical officer.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
30 Jan. 2026
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People living in Bridgeville were excited to see dull pavement.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Even during moderate storms, auroras can appear as faint, gray or milky arcs to the naked eye, while appearing vivid in photographs.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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This allows exposures stretching up to 30 minutes, soaking up huge amounts of light to reveal incredibly faint objects in sharp detail.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For the young generation of digital natives navigating AI anxiety around keeping up with peers using the technology and AI displacing them from jobs, the fear of the technology making people dumber is dominant.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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This lens helps explain everything from investing mistakes and overspending to why some people quietly build wealth while others blow money in ways that, from the outside, look spectacularly dumb.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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