SLIM Synonyms: 202 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'slim' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of slim are slender , slight , tenuous , and thin . While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness. // a slim volume of poetry // a slim chance

Q: When is it sensible to use 'slender' instead of 'slim'?

The words slender and slim are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion. // the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

Q: Where would 'slight' be a reasonable alternative to 'slim'?

In some situations, the words slight and slim are roughly equivalent. However, slight implies smallness as well as thinness. // a slight build

Q: When can 'tenuous' be used instead of 'slim'?

The words tenuous and slim can be used in similar contexts, but tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness. // a tenuous thread

Q: When is 'thin' a more appropriate choice than 'slim'?

While in some cases nearly identical to slim , thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance. // thin wire // a thin soup

slim

adjective

ˈslim

Definition of slim

as in thin

being of less than usual width a slim volume of poetry

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in slender

having a noticeably small amount of body fat the pressure on ballet dancers to remain gracefully slim

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable slim pickings at the garage sale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in small

small in degree a slim chance is still better than none

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective slim contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of slim are slender, slight, tenuous, and thin. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

When is it sensible to use slender instead of slim?

The words slender and slim are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

Where would slight be a reasonable alternative to slim?

In some situations, the words slight and slim are roughly equivalent. However, slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

When can tenuous be used instead of slim?

The words tenuous and slim can be used in similar contexts, but tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

When is thin a more appropriate choice than slim?

While in some cases nearly identical to slim, thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.

thin wire

a thin soup

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 slim There is a slim 10-20% chance of an isolated shower or rumble east of I-35 today, and that chance shifts to west of I-35 tomorrow. — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 The defining traits are always a slim silhouette, low heels, and buttery-soft leather or suede fabrics. — Mayte Salido, Glamour, 8 Sep. 2026 Republicans are dead wrong for trying to maintain their slim House majority by gerrymandering in Texas, North Carolina and elsewhere, but Democrats are still favored to retake control of the House after November’s election. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026 The slim bezel maximizes screen space, making this monitor ideal for dual setups and multitasking. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slim

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slim

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

Masters, tall and slender, forded the frigid waist-deep water to wake up his father and convince the 63-year-old to evacuate.

— Ren Larson, ProPublica, 2 Sep. 2026
The shoes paired with the Dolce & Gabbana dress featured a slender strap across the toes and curved straps around the top of the foot and ankle forming a diamond with concave sides.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of slender

Adjective

Substantially above-average precipitation in states like Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio was canceled out by historically sparse totals recorded in places like California, which had its driest summer since 2002 and its fifth-driest ever recorded.

— Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
But Taylor told Ars that research remains sparse, with OpenAI’s reporting on ChatGPT users offering one of the few indicators of how widespread the problem may be.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of sparse

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

Adjective

Louisville and Boise State don’t move much after narrow losses to top-10 teams.

— Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
The extremely short, picometer-scale wavelength of nuclear-decay neutrinos makes the possible collective emission cone extraordinarily narrow.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of narrow

Adjective

Her humdrum life gives way to beach bonfires at sunset (lensed by Tudor Vladimir Panduru and Fabian Gamper in stunning dusky blues and pinks) and skinny-dipping in the river.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
These ankle-length skinny jeans come in a dark wash similar to the actress’s, as well as seven other shades.

— Melony Forcier, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of skinny

Adjective

Singapore is leveraging its scarce land, energy, and population to bolster its regulatory and agenda-setting power over data centers and sustainability.

— Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
When homes are scarce and expensive, the last thing buyers need is to wonder whether some of the most coveted available inventory is effectively hidden from them.

— Tomas J. Philipson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of scarce

Adjective

The combination of red and purple, in particular, has already won over celebrities, whoa re adding a pop of color to their off-duty looks.

— Elise Fabre, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2026
There was no off-season film to support Callahan’s intuition, only four decades of coaching experience.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of off

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“Slim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slim. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of slim

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