thin

1 of 3

adjective

thinner; thinnest
1
a
: having little extent from one surface to its opposite
thin paper
b
: measuring little in cross section or diameter
thin rope
2
: not dense in arrangement or distribution
thin hair
3
: not well fleshed : lean
4
a
: more fluid or rarefied than normal
thin air
b
: having less than the usual number : scanty
thin attendance
c
: few in number : scarce
d
: scantily supplied
e
: characterized by a paucity of bids or offerings
a thin market
5
a
: lacking substance or strength
thin broth
a thin plot
b
of a soil : infertile, poor
6
a
: flimsy, unconvincing
a thin disguise
b
: disappointingly poor or hard
had a thin time of it
7
: somewhat feeble, shrill, and lacking in resonance
a thin voice
8
: lacking in intensity or brilliance
thin light
9
: lacking sufficient photographic density or contrast
thinly adverb
thinness noun
thinnish adjective

thin

2 of 3

verb

thinned; thinning

transitive verb

: to make thin or thinner:
a
: to reduce in thickness or depth : attenuate
b
: to make less dense or viscous
c
d
: to cause to lose flesh
thinned by weeks of privation
e
: to reduce in number or bulk

intransitive verb

1
: to become thin or thinner
2
: to become weak

thin

3 of 3

adverb

thinner; thinnest
: in a thin manner : thinly
used especially in combination
thin-clad
thin-flowing
Phrases
thin on the ground
Choose the Right Synonym for thin

thin, slender, slim, slight, tenuous 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

slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry
a slim chance

slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

Examples of thin in a Sentence

Adjective a thin coating of dust pizza with a thin crust a thin slice of ham a thin stand of trees Verb He added a little more water to thin the gravy. The haze thinned in the late afternoon. His face has been thinned by illness. Adverb She sliced the cheese thin. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This may include a rear-facing periscope lens, which allows for more optical zoom, and a titanium casing to make the device up to 15% lighter and thinner. Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023 Related: Triston Casas isn’t concerned with challenging Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson for Rookie of the Year ETC. Dodgers’ depth is being tested The Dodgers' pitching staff is looking a little thin. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023 In impersonating a would-be pornographer, Jake discovers how thin the line is that separates his own sober enterprise from the business of pornography. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2023 Focus the glitter at the base of the cuticle and thin it out toward the center of the nail for a diffused effect. Marissa Oliva, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023 Some customers do note that the comforter may be too thin — but then again that may be ideal. Good Housekeeping, 7 Sep. 2023 First, pick a quiet moment and suggest to him that the Ann jokes are wearing thin. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023 Without Cupp, the Rams are awfully thin at wide receiver. oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2023 Insider roster analysis:Colts still thin in several spots after cutting to 53 But Taylor is not the only party who lost out in the team’s inability to strike a trade this week. The Indianapolis Star, 29 Aug. 2023
Verb
Direct financial links between the United States and China have thinned in recent years, amid a trade war and rising geopolitical tensions. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2023 Retinol thickens the deeper skin layers, but actually thins out the outer skin layer. Margaux Anbouba, ELLE, 31 Aug. 2023 September is considered one of the best months to visit the Greek islands, as the weather is still sunny and warm, and the crowds have thinned out. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023 Many municipalities may not make certain strategies, including thinning oversized forests by cutting trees and shrubbery and conducting prescribed burns to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, a priority, Bozzo said. USA TODAY, 20 Aug. 2023 Saline nose drops: Squeezing saline nose drops into your little one's nasal passages thins the mucus, making the bulb syringe more effective. Parents Editors, Parents, 18 Aug. 2023 The council’s moderate ranks are thinning with the retirement of the body’s longest-serving members: Baker, of Dorchester, and Councilor Michael Flaherty, who represents the city at-large. Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023 Very cold liquids and hot liquids (like chicken noodle soup or decaffeinated tea) are best for thinning out mucus. Nicole Harris, Parents, 24 Aug. 2023 Prune out and dispose of all diseased leaves and stems in the fall while thinning the planting to increase air movement to promote drying. Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2023
Adverb
It’s sliced thin, giving each piece a tender middle and a thin coating of crunchy skin. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2023 To make kouign amman the classic way, take a yeast dough, roll it thin, sprinkle it with sugar, then fold and stack the dough on top of itself to create a layer. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2023 Expansion Moving to a global effort can sometimes spread an organization dangerously thin, taxing the infrastructure and personnel. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023 Evert by then was flagging, her intensity worn thin. Sally Jenkins, Anchorage Daily News, 3 July 2023 Miles, stretched thin from leading his secret double life as Brooklyn’s favorite superhero, misses his friend Gwen, and ends up following her into the multiverse. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023 The Colorado River is stretched thin:Can the 100-year-old rules that divide it still work? Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2023 In Anderson’s ideal world, mental health providers could quickly divert their attention to patients experiencing severe crises rather than being spread thin across all patients. Bhav Jain, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2023 But the gimmick wears thin quickly. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English thin, thinne, going back to Old English þynne, going back to Germanic *þunnu- (assimilated to the -ja-stem adjectives in West Germanic, whence Middle Dutch dunne "thin," Old High German dunni, against Old Norse þunnr), generalized from a paradigm *þenu-, *þunw-a-, going back to Indo-European *ténh2u-, *tn̥h2u̯ó-, whence also, from with a base *tenh2u-, *tn̥h2u- with varying ablaut and suffixation, Old Irish tanae "thin, slender," Old Welsh teneu, Middle Breton tanau, Latin tenuis "fine-drawn, thin, narrow, slight," Greek tanu- "extended, long," tanaós "outstretched, long," Old Church Slavic tĭnŭkŭ "fine, delicate," Russian tónkij "thin," Croatian & Serbian tȁnak, Lithuanian tę́vas, Sanskrit tanúḥ, tánukaḥ "thin, small"

Note: Indo-European *tenh2u-, *tn̥h2u- is usually taken to be a derivative of the verbal base *ten- "stretch, extend"; see tenant entry 1.

Verb

Middle English thinnen, going back to Old English þynnian, derivative of þynne thin entry 1

Adverb

Middle English thynne, derivative of thin, thinne thin entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thin was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thin

Cite this Entry

“Thin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

thin

1 of 2 adjective
thinner; thinnest
1
: having little extent from one surface to its opposite
thin paper
2
: having widely scattered units
thin hair
3
: having too little flesh
a tall thin boy
4
: less dense than normal
thin air
5
: lacking substance or strength
thin broth
thin excuses
6
: somewhat weak or shrill
a thin voice
thinly adverb
thinness noun

thin

2 of 2 verb
thinned; thinning
1
: to make or become thin
2
: to reduce in number especially to prevent crowding
thin young carrots in the garden

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