fine 1 of 5

adjective

ˈfīn How to pronounce fine (audio)
Definition of finenext
1
as in dusty
consisting of very small particles the fine sand found on the island's beaches

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2
as in subtle
made or done with extreme care and accuracy the fine distinction between bravery and recklessness

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3
as in thin
being of less than usual width use a fine line for the outline of the facial features you intend to carve into the pumpkin

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4
as in OK
being to one's liking that arrangement is fine with me

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5
as in pure
free from added matter that silver is .9600 fine

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6
as in accurate
meeting the highest standard of accuracy making the final fine adjustments on the car's GPS

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7
as in adequate
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards the wine steward declared that the complaint of corkiness was unjustified and that the wine was fine

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8
as in small
of a size that is less than average read the fine print

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9
as in excellent
of the very best kind a fine performance of a classic ballet

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10
as in elegant
having qualities that appeal to a refined taste savored every morsel of the restaurant's fine cuisine

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11
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences hearing so fine that it can seemingly hear the tiniest twig snap

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12
as in handsome
having or showing elegance a fine old structure in the city's historic district

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fine

2 of 5

noun

as in penalty
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment a $50 fine for speeding

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fine

3 of 5

verb (1)

as in to impose
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty the police will fine you for driving with one headlight out

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fine

4 of 5

verb (2)

as in to filter
to remove usually visible impurities from the use of egg shells to fine wine

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fine

5 of 5

adverb

as in good
in a satisfactory way you did just fine on the stress test

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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 fine
Adjective
He was given an option to bypass jail by paying a $250 fine and providing the filings within a week. — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026 But another frontier remains to be realized, one in which MU ascends from this fine plateau to make good on the sort of top-tier promise implied by the school’s now-enormous commitment to football. — Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
Dorsey uses solid gold (as well as sterling silver), meaning its pieces are not classified as demi-fine, but a Dorsey diamond tennis necklace will set you back up to $20,000, rather than upwards of $30,000 to $40,000 for a natural diamond version. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026 Wiley agreed to spend 15 days in jail and one year on probation, pay a $1,040 fine, take an anger management course and have no contact with the victim. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
The Clippers will be fined $30 million, according to the NBA. — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 The Clippers were also fined $30 million, the largest sum in league history. — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Concerning her daughter’s hiatus, her mother, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, reassured fans that Sophia is doing fine and finding ways to keep herself busy. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 Drugstore shampoos work just fine, if not, better than some of their more expensive counterparts. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fine
  1. dusty
  2. subtle
  3. thin
  4. OK
  5. pure
  6. accurate
  7. adequate
  8. small
Adjective
  • One Baguette is covered in a kaleidoscopic geometric pattern of colorful beads; another resembles a tiny textile artwork in dusty pink, green, and turquoise.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • One rises, then another, then seemingly all of them—great striped bulbs of crimson, lemon yellow, and turquoise drifting between the fairy chimneys as the first sunlight catches the dusty pink folds of the landscape.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • That possibility, however subtle, may have helped drive the legal chaos that unfolded in Baton Rouge just 48 hours before LSU was scheduled to take the field.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Birdseye maple recurs as a detail on furniture and banisters, along with subtle copper details and velvet seating.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • Deposition systems add extremely thin layers of material onto a silicon wafer.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the thin line between moving on to play for an NFC championship and trudging into the heaviest first stage of the offseason.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • In the laundry room, Gen asks Kat if things are okay between them.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Aparacio admits that most of won’t be able to keep up with that schedule and says six months is okay, too, and that particular chore can be saved for the big season changes and cleaning that comes with winter and summer.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of OK
Adjective
  • Swift was born into the Anglo-Irish Protestant elite, and the text satires both the callousness of his class and a then-ascendant approach to morality and politics that held that all aspects of life could be cooked down to a pure numerical value.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, Bier recognizes the pure joy of seeing these women drinking margaritas again, resulting in a vivid and sweet celebration that gradually reframes aging as a process of gaining power rather than losing it.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • Suffice it to say, a QB's rookie year is not always an accurate portrayal of the player that QB will become.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • However, according to veterinarians, this calculation isn't always accurate.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of accurate
Adjective
  • Lyft also doesn’t fingerprint its drivers unless required by law and doesn’t provide adequate background checks, the lawsuit alleged.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The state health department said North Carolina has an adequate supply of prophylaxis and would provide it to anyone who needs it.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of adequate
Adjective
  • Then handle the smaller responsibilities competing for your attention.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Its compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of small

Phrases Containing fine

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finds out
fine
fined
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Cite this Entry

“Fine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fine. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fine

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