Synonyms of thin

thin 1 of 2

adjective

ˈthin 

1

as in skinny

having a noticeably small amount of body fat

after starting a workout routine, she looked thinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skinny
• slender
• bony
• lean
• slim
• gaunt
• angular
• svelte
• lithe
• boney
• skeletal
• trim
• fatless
• spare
• haggard
• wiry
• willowy
• scrawny
• stringy
• lanky
• spindly
• reedy
• weedy
• sinewy
• lank
• twiggy
• rawboned
• scraggy
• emaciated
• anorexic
• sylphlike
• meagre
• meager
• pinched
• puny
• waspish
• rangy
• clean-limbed
• wizened
• cadaverous
• anorectic
• slight
• anoretic
• wasted
• spindling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• thick
• fat
• plump
• chubby
• gross
• overweight
• heavy
• bulky
• obese
• corpulent
• rotund
• fleshy
• stocky
• portly
• stout
• chunky
• tubby
• beefy
• weighty
• heavyset
• thickset
• burly
• husky
• stubby
• pudgy
• brawny
• dumpy
• squat
• soft
• paunchy
• flabby
• potbellied
• full
• buxom
• round
• roly-poly
• hippy
• zaftig
• zoftig

2

as in slender

being of less than usual width

the thin threads of a cobweb

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slender
• narrow
• skinny
• fine
• slim
• paper-thin
• tight
• ultrathin
• needlelike
• elongated
• linear
• close
• condensed
• spare
• elongate
• compressed
• slim-jim
• tightened
• squeezed
• hairline
• attenuated
• stringy
• constricted
• wispy
• lanky
• spindly
• reedy
• willowy
• contracted
• twiggy
• rangy
• lank
• attenuate
• stalky
• bottleneck
• shoestring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wide
• broad
• fat
• thick
• stocky
• chunky
• stumpy
• squat
• bulky
• thickset
• massive
• voluminous
• thickish
• widish

3

as in thinned

not containing very much of some important element

the evidence for that oddball theory is pretty thin

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thinned
• dilute
• diluted
• weak
• washy
• watery
• weakened
• adulterated
• watered-down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rich
• strong
• fortified
• enriched
• full-bodied
• concentrated
• condensed
• evaporated

thin

2 of 2

verb

as in to dilute

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances

thinned the cream with milk but didn't tell anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dilute
• cut
• dirty
• load
• weaken
• poison
• pollute
• manipulate
• infect
• extend
• water down
• lace
• adulterate
• spoil
• soil
• taint
• degrade
• sophisticate
• contaminate
• corrupt
• temper
• moderate
• defile
• fake
• foul
• counterfeit
• attenuate
• cheapen
• debase
• sully
• misrepresent
• spike
• falsify
• tamper (with)
• fudge
• qualify
• befoul
• doctor
• envenom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthen
• enrich
• fortify
• reinforce
• supplement
• lard
• fertilize
• augment
• clean
• reenforce
• better
• improve
• compact
• purify
• refine
• richen
• filter
• flush
• enhance
• clarify
• decontaminate
• leach
• cleanse
• purge
• distil
• distill
• concentrate
• condense
• pasteurize

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective thin contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of thin are slender, slight, slim, and tenuous. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," 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

In what contexts can slender take the place of thin?

The words slender and thin can be used in similar contexts, but slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

When would slight be a good substitute for thin?

The synonyms slight and thin are sometimes interchangeable, but slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

When is it sensible to use slim instead of thin?

The words slim and thin are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

Where would tenuous be a reasonable alternative to thin?

In some situations, the words tenuous and thin are roughly equivalent. However, tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of thin

Adjective

Trying to please everyone Trying to please everyone becomes the fastest way to dilute your value and spread it thin. —Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025

For hours when her mother was at work at the accounting office, Lin crouched by the side of the thin stream, watching the fish. —Literary Hub, 6 June 2025

Verb

Menopausal people may also see an uptick in BV and yeast infections as a result of declining estrogen levels, thinning vaginal tissue, and higher vaginal pH, research suggests. —Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 13 May 2025

Cosmic radiation can thin the ozone layer and let in more UV light. —New Atlas, 10 May 2025

Phrases Containing thin

• thin on the ground