1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
a dim, windowless room in the basement of the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in matte
lacking a surface luster or gloss
over time, exposure to ultraviolet light will make bright pigments turn dim
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
have only a dim knowledge of the subject
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
our dog is kind of dim, but very sweet-natured
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the storm clouds dimmed our view of the city from the airplane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dim
Harrison Hill, AFAR Media, 19 Aug. 2025
Located more than 30,000 light-years away, this dim companion was long believed to be a tiny galaxy made mostly of dark matter.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
An inward-looking Japan would fail to attract global talent and fix labor shortages, dimming economic prospects.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dim
Adjective
Founded in the mid-19th century as a grocery store in Greenwich Village, the bar retains a patina of its early years—the dim interior, wood walls, the merciful lack of thunka-thunk music.
—Harrison Hill, AFAR Media, 19 Aug. 2025
Located more than 30,000 light-years away, this dim companion was long believed to be a tiny galaxy made mostly of dark matter.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
Smart switches, automated zones, and apps can ensure that homeowners can schedule lights to dim or turn off, rather than relying on memory.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
An inward-looking Japan would fail to attract global talent and fix labor shortages, dimming economic prospects.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim
Adjective
-
This Lulus bag is primarily matte and clean, with just a tinge of silver on the top handle and cutesy bow.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
22 Feb. 2025
-
To get this result, Dempsey recommends the Dior Addict Lip Tint for its transfer-proof, semi-matte finish.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Allowing the President to unlawfully remove Governor Cook on unsubstantiated and vague allegations would endanger the stability of our financial system and undermine the rule of law.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
But many of the recommendations were vague or lacked the teeth some experts hoped to see from a document MAHA allies for months had said would dramatically transform the health of Americans.—
Will McDuffie,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that’s the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Sometimes, actors play a slightly dumber iteration of themselves; think James Van Der Beek in Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 and Liam Neeson in Life’s Too Short (a performance that got Neeson cast in this year’s The Naked Gun).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Senate Bill 627, for example, would prohibit law enforcement agents from covering their faces to obscure their identity, carving out exceptions for SWAT teams and undercover officers.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
-
In those interviews, the faces of victims were obscured to protect their identities.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Dolphins wear white jerseys at home for afternoon games, forcing opponents to wear darker colors that absorb more heat.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Applebee’s recently managed its first quarter of same-store sales growth after eight consecutive declines, a faint improvement, but one that pales in comparison to the surge at Chili’s or the steady gains at Olive Garden.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
This leads to signals that are often faint, easily drowned out by background noise, and difficult to isolate in complex biological environments such as blood or tissue.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Biden, who ended his bid for a second White House term 107 days before last year's election, has been relatively slow to move on presidential library planning compared with most of his recent predecessors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
-
With Parkinson’s, doctors implant electrodes in the brain that produce electrical impulses to disrupt the abnormal signals that cause tremors, stiffness and slow movement.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That means the blood-red moon will climb above the eastern horizon already darkened, creating a dramatic but challenging sight.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Areas that should have been completely dark were instead illuminated with noisy streaks; areas that should have been uniformly bright had darkened streaks across them.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share