thickly
gb/θˈɪkli/ us/θˈɪkli/
B1
English
~ 7100
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
densely; in large numbers
In a way where many things are very close together in one place.
Usage pattern:
[place] is thickly [past participle]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"many people live thick"* instead of *"the area is thickly populated"*. Remember that *thickly* usually modifies a past participle like *populated*, *wooded*, or a verb like *grow* (*trees grow thickly*). Also, do not confuse *thickly* with *thick* when describing distribution: say *trees grow thickly*, not *trees grow thick*.
Synonyms
densely (More common in formal or technical descriptions, especially about population or growth.)
|
heavily (Can suggest intensity or amount, but is less specific about things being close together in space.)
Antonyms
thinly (Direct opposite for physical distribution; suggests only a small number spread over a larger area.)
|
sparsely (Common in more formal descriptions of low population or few objects in a large area.)
Collocations
thickly populated
|thickly wooded
|thickly forested
|trees grow thickly
|houses are built thickly
|plants clustered thickly
Themes
description
|nature
|geography
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
|space
Examples
- The valley is thickly populated, with villages only a few kilometers apart.
- Pine trees grew thickly along the sides of the mountain trail.
- Fog hung thickly over the harbor, hiding the ships from view.
- We walked through a garden where roses were planted thickly on both sides.
- The smoke rose thickly from the factory chimneys and drifted across the town.
Learner examples
- The city is thickly populated.
- Trees grow thickly around the lake.
- Clouds covered the sky thickly.
- Small houses stand thickly along this road.
- Dust lay thickly on every shelf.
adverb
B1
property
2
in a thick layer or coating
In a way that makes a deep or heavy layer of something on a surface.
Usage pattern:
to cover [something] thickly with [substance]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *strongly* or *a lot* instead of *thickly* when talking about a physical layer (for example, *"He put butter a lot"*). Use *thickly* to describe a deep layer: *"He spread butter thickly."* Also, remember that *thick* is an adjective (*a thick layer*), while *thickly* is the adverb (*spread it thickly*).
Synonyms
heavily (Often used in similar contexts to show a large amount is used or present, but not always about the physical depth of a layer.)
|
generously (Emphasizes giving or using a lot, especially with food, but does not focus as much on physical thickness.)
Antonyms
thinly (Direct opposite; describes a very light or shallow layer of something.)
|
lightly (Suggests only a small amount is used, often in cooking or decoration.)
Collocations
spread butter thickly
|coat thickly
|cover thickly with snow
|apply paint thickly
|dust lies thickly
|ice forms thickly
Themes
food
|daily_life
|description
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She spread jam thickly on the warm toast.
- The road was thickly covered with snow by morning.
- The walls were thickly coated with white paint to hide the stains.
- Dust lay thickly on the old books in the attic.
- The cake was thickly iced with chocolate frosting.
Learner examples
- He put butter thickly on his bread.
- The ground was thickly covered with snow.
- Makeup was thickly put on her face.
- The car was thickly covered in mud.
- Sugar was sprinkled thickly over the cake.
adverb
C1
property
3
in a muffled or unclear voice
Speaking in a way that is not clear, usually because the mouth is blocked or the person is crying, drunk, or very tired.
Usage pattern:
to speak/say [words] thickly
Common mistake:
Learners may say *"He spoke strong"* or *"He spoke hard"* when they mean his speech was not clear. Use *thickly* when the problem is that the mouth or throat is not free (because of food, injury, sleepiness, tears, or alcohol), and use *quietly* or *softly* for low volume.
Synonyms
muffledly (More technical and less common; focuses on the sound being blocked or softened.)
|
hoarsely (Emphasizes a rough, strained voice rather than general lack of clarity.)
Antonyms
clearly (Direct opposite; describes speech that is easy to hear and understand.)
|
distinctly (Stresses that each sound and word is sharp and separate, not blurred together.)
Collocations
speak thickly
|say thickly
|murmur thickly
|breathe thickly
|voice came thickly
|answer thickly
Themes
communication
|emotions
|health
Examples
- He spoke thickly through the bandage that covered his jaw.
- She answered thickly, her mouth still full of food.
- His voice came thickly over the phone, as if he had been crying.
- The patient breathed thickly, struggling for air after the operation.
- Drunk and exhausted, he mumbled thickly before falling asleep on the sofa.
Learner examples
- He spoke thickly because his mouth was hurt.
- She said the words thickly with tears in her throat.
- The man on the phone spoke thickly and was hard to understand.
- The child, half asleep, answered his mother thickly.
- After running hard, he breathed thickly for a few minutes.
Grammar
Dictionary form
thickly
IPA
GB/θˈɪkli/
US/θˈɪkli/
Syllables & stress
thickly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (thickly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: thickly
- Plural: thicklies
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.