dim
gb/dˈɪm/ us/dˈɪm/
B1
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
not bright; with little light
Not bright; with only a little light.
Usage pattern:
a dim [room/light/street]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "dim" with "dark" and overuse "dark". "Dim" suggests there is some light, just not much, whereas "dark" can mean very little or no light at all. Learners also sometimes say "a dimmed room" when they simply mean "a dim room"; use "dimmed" mainly as a verb form, as in "They dimmed the lights."
Synonyms
dark (Often stronger than "dim"; suggests very little or almost no light.)
|
dusky (More literary and often used for soft, low, evening-like light.)
Antonyms
bright (Has a lot of light, the direct opposite of "dim" in this sense.)
|
well-lit (Emphasizes that a place has plenty of light, not dim at all.)
Collocations
dim light
|dim room
|dimly lit
|in the dim light
|dim corner
|dim hallway
Themes
daily life
|home
|environment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The restaurant was so dim that I could barely read the menu.
- He woke up in a dim hospital room filled with the soft beeping of machines.
- We sat in the dim hallway, waiting for the power to come back on.
- A single dim bulb hung from the ceiling, casting long shadows on the walls.
- As the sun set, the room grew dim and we turned on a lamp.
Learner examples
- The light in my bedroom is dim.
- We ate dinner in a dim room.
- It was hard to read in the dim bus.
- The street is dim at night.
- The movie started and the cinema became dim.
adjective
B2
property
2
faint or not clear (memory/shape/hope)
Weak or not clear, so it is hard to see, hear, or remember.
Usage pattern:
a dim [memory/outline/hope]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "dim" only for light and forget it can describe memories, hopes, and shapes. They may also say "a little memory" instead of the more natural "a dim memory" when they want to express that they remember something only weakly or partly.
Synonyms
faint (Very close in meaning; often used for sounds, colors, or hopes that are weak.)
|
vague (Stresses lack of clear detail, especially for memories and ideas.)
Antonyms
clear (Easy to see, hear, or remember, the opposite of "dim" in this sense.)
|
strong (For memories or hopes that are vivid or powerful, not weak or dim.)
Collocations
dim memory
|dim outline
|dim shape
|dim hope
|dim prospect
|in the dim distance
Themes
thinking
|emotions
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I only have a dim memory of my first day at school.
- Through the fog we could just make out the dim outline of the bridge.
- There is still a dim hope that they will find survivors.
- Her childhood seems like a dim dream now.
- In the distance he saw a dim shape moving toward the house.
Learner examples
- I have a dim memory of my old house.
- We saw a dim shape in the fog.
- There is only a dim hope that he will win.
- The picture is dim in my mind now.
- After many years, the details became dim.
adjective
informal
B2
property
3
not intelligent; rather stupid
Not very intelligent; slow to understand things.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is dim
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning of "dim" with "dumb" and may think they are the same. "Dim" sounds slightly softer and is usually informal, while "dumb" can be stronger or sound rude in many contexts. Learners should also avoid using "dim" in formal writing to describe intelligence.
Synonyms
slow (Politer and softer; focuses on speed of understanding rather than general intelligence.)
|
stupid (Much stronger and more offensive than "dim".)
Antonyms
bright (Informal; means clever or quick to learn, the opposite of "dim" here.)
|
smart (Common in everyday English for intelligent people.)
Collocations
a bit dim
|seem dim
|rather dim
|look dim
|pretty dim
Themes
people
|character
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He’s not dim; he just needs a bit more time to learn new things.
- I felt so dim when I couldn’t answer a single question in the meeting.
- Some of the comments online are really dim and poorly thought out.
- She plays a slightly dim character in the comedy series.
- It was a pretty dim thing to post your password on social media.
Learner examples
- He is not dim, but the work is hard.
- I felt dim when I made the same mistake again.
- They think I am dim because I am quiet.
- It was a dim idea to drive without sleep.
- She is kind but a little dim in class.
adjective
C1
property
4
unlikely or not promising
Not likely to be good or successful.
Usage pattern:
dim [prospects/chances/future]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes translate directly and say "weak future" or "small future" instead of the natural English phrase "dim future." They may also confuse this with the physical light meaning; here the subject is abstract (chances, prospects, future), not light.
Synonyms
bleak (Stronger and more emotional; suggests a very negative future.)
|
unpromising (More formal; focuses on low chances of success.)
Antonyms
bright (Common metaphor for a good future: "a bright future" contrasts directly with "a dim future.")
|
promising (Suggests good chances of success, the opposite of "dim prospects.")
Collocations
dim prospects
|dim future
|dim chances
|look dim
|prospects are dim
Themes
work
|emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- With the company losing money, her promotion prospects looked dim.
- The future of the project is dim unless they can find new investors.
- After the injury, his chances of returning to professional sport were sadly dim.
- Economic forecasts for the next year are fairly dim.
- At that point, the outlook for peace seemed dim.
Learner examples
- His job prospects are dim in this small town.
- Without a visa, her chances are dim.
- The future of the team looks dim after so many losses.
- Their hopes of success grew dim after the bad news.
- My chances of passing were dim, but I tried hard.
Verb
B1
action
5
make or become less bright
To make light softer and not so bright, or to become less bright.
Usage pattern:
dim [the lights/a screen]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "close the light" when they mean turn it off or dim it. In English you say "turn off the light" or "dim the light," not "close the light." They may also try to use "dim" with people (e.g., *"He dimmed"*) in this sense, which is odd unless you are talking about their eyes or expression losing brightness.
Synonyms
darken (Often stronger; can mean to make fully dark, while "dim" usually means just less bright.)
|
soften (Used more for the feel of the light; "dim" is more literal about brightness.)
Antonyms
brighten (To make brighter or more intense in light, the opposite of "dim" here.)
|
light up (Phrasal verb meaning to make an area bright with light.)
Collocations
dim the lights
|dim the screen
|lights dimmed
|dim the display
|eyes dimmed
Themes
daily life
|technology
|home
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Could you dim the lights a little so we can see the projector?
- As the storm approached, the sky dimmed and the wind picked up.
- The screen automatically dims to save battery.
- He dimmed the lamp to create a more relaxed atmosphere.
- The headlights suddenly dimmed, and then went out completely.
Learner examples
- Please dim the lights before the movie starts.
- The room dimmed when the sun went down.
- My phone dims the screen at night.
- She dimmed the lamp and went to bed.
- The lights dimmed for a second and then came back.
unknown
B2
action
6
weaken feelings, hopes, or memories
To make hopes, feelings, or memories weaker or less clear.
Usage pattern:
dim [hopes/enthusiasm/memory]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse "make" and say "make the hope small" instead of using a more natural verb like "dim" or "weaken." They may also confuse this with the physical light meaning; in this sense, the object is abstract (hope, enthusiasm, memory), not an actual light.
Synonyms
dampen (Commonly used for enthusiasm or mood; very close in meaning in emotional contexts.)
|
weaken (General word for making something less strong; less visual than "dim.")
Antonyms
strengthen (To make hopes or feelings stronger, the opposite of "dim" here.)
|
rekindle (To make interest or love strong again after it has become dim.)
Collocations
dim hopes
|dim enthusiasm
|dim his/her/their spirits
|dim the memory
|nothing could dim
Themes
emotions
|thinking
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The defeat did little to dim the team’s determination.
- Years of hardship had not dimmed her love for the city.
- Nothing could dim his enthusiasm for teaching.
- Time has dimmed my memory of that winter.
- The scandal dimmed public trust in the government.
Learner examples
- The bad news did not dim her hope.
- Many years did not dim their love.
- The loss dimmed his joy for a long time.
- Nothing can dim my love for my family.
- Time slowly dimmed his memory of the event.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dim
IPA
GB/dˈɪm/
US/dˈɪm/
Syllables & stress
dim (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dim)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: dim
- Comparative: dimmer
- Superlative: dimmest
Verb
- Base: dim
- 3rd Person Singular: dims
- Present Participle: dimming
- Past: dimmed
Word family
Forms
dims
verb
dimming
verb
dimmed
verb
dimmer
adjective
dimmest
adjective
Core family
dimly
adverb B1
dimness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
undimmed
adjective
Advanced or less common
dimwit
noun
dimwitted
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: dimming Verb
- Irregular past: dimmed Verb
- Irregular comparative: dimmer Adjective
- Irregular superlative: dimmest Adjective
Expressions
dim down
1/dˈɪm dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
to reduce light or brightness
To become less bright, or to make something less bright, especially lights or a screen.
Examples
- The streetlights dim down after midnight to save energy.
- You can set your phone to dim down automatically at night.
- The stage lights dimmed down as the singer walked off.
dim the lights
1/dˈɪm ðə lˈaɪts/
fixed phrase
turn the lights down lower
To make the lights less bright.
Examples
- Please dim the lights for the presentation.
- They dimmed the lights to create a romantic mood.
- The cinema slowly dimmed the lights before the film started.
grow dim
1/ɡɹˈoʊ dˈɪm/
fixed phrase
literary
slowly become less bright/clear
To slowly become less bright or less clear, for light, memories, or hopes.
Examples
- As evening fell, the sky grew dim.
- Over the years, her memories of that day grew dim.
- His hopes of winning the case grew dim as more evidence appeared.
in the dim and distant past
1/ˈɪn ðə dˈɪm ˈænd dˈɪstənt pˈæst/
idiom
a long time ago, hardly remembered
A very long time ago, so long ago that people do not remember it clearly.
Examples
- He last played for the club in the dim and distant past.
- In the dim and distant past, people traveled by horse and carriage.
- Those rules were written in the dim and distant past and no longer make sense.
take a dim view of
1/tˈeɪk ə dˈɪm vjˈu əv/
idiom
to disapprove or be against
To dislike or disapprove of something, and to feel negative about it.
Examples
- The company takes a dim view of employees arriving late.
- Parents may take a dim view of teenagers staying out all night.
- Local residents take a dim view of plans to cut down the trees.