thin
having little thickness
Not thick; having only a small distance from one side to the other.
[something] is thin
- The ice on the lake was too thin to walk on.
- She wore a thin sweater on the chilly morning.
- Cut the vegetables into thin slices before frying.
- A thin layer of dust covered the table.
- The book has thin pages that tear easily.
- The paper is very thin.
- I cut a thin piece of bread.
- This shirt is thin and light.
- The wall is thin.
- My phone is thin and small.
having little body fat
Having little fat on the body; not big or heavy.
[someone] is thin
- He became very thin after the long illness.
- She has always been naturally thin.
- The stray dog looked thin and weak.
- His thin frame made him look taller than he was.
- She is tall and thin.
- The cat looks thin.
- He is too thin after being sick.
- My friend is thin and fast.
not dense or concentrated
Not thick or strong; having too much water, air, or space inside.
[something] is thin
- The soup was thin and tasteless.
- At high altitudes, the air is thinner and contains less oxygen.
- He wore a jacket made of thin cotton fabric.
- The soup is thin.
- The air is thin in the mountains.
- This shirt is made of thin cloth.
with little thickness or density
In a way that is not thick or strong.
- Spread the butter thinly on the bread.
- The paint was applied too thin and needed another coat.
- Cut the cheese thin.
- Spread jam thin on the bread.
make less thick or dense
To make something thinner, lighter, or weaker by adding liquid, removing parts, or spreading it out.
to thin [something] (with [something])
- You can thin the paint with water.
- She thinned her hair to make it easier to manage.
- Add milk to thin the sauce.
- Thin the soup with water.
- He thins his hair every year.
- Add water to thin the paint.
- Base: thin
- Comparative: thinner
- Superlative: thinnest
- Base: thin
- 3rd Person Singular: thins
- Present Participle: thinning
- Past: thinned
- Irregular present participle: thinning Verb
- Irregular past: thinned Verb
- Irregular comparative: thinner Adjective
- Irregular superlative: thinnest Adjective
thin out
1reduce number or density of something
To make something have fewer things or people in it so it is less crowded or thick.
- Police tried to thin out the crowd after the concert.
- Thin out the seedlings so they have space to grow.
wear thin on someone
1cause someone to lose patience over time
To make someone lose their patience because something keeps happening again and again.
- His constant complaining is starting to wear thin on me.
- The noise from upstairs is wearing thin on the neighbors.
on thin ice
1in a risky situation
In a situation where you could easily get into trouble or cause problems if you make a mistake.
- After missing another deadline, he's on thin ice with his boss.
- You're on thin ice with your boss after arriving late again.
- You're on thin ice if you keep arriving late to work.
- The company is on thin ice financially.
spread oneself too thin
1do too many things at once poorly
To have too many things to do and not enough time or energy to do them well.
- She’s spreading herself too thin by joining so many clubs.
- If you take on too many projects, you'll spread yourself too thin.
- Don’t spread yourself too thin or you’ll burn out.
- She's spreading herself too thin by working two jobs and studying full-time.
wear thin
5become less effective/acceptable
To become less effective, less believable, or less tolerable over time.
- Her excuses are starting to wear thin.
- My patience is wearing thin with your excuses.
- My patience is wearing thin with this delay.
- The joke started to wear thin after he told it for the fifth time.