thin

1 of 3

adjective

ˈthin

thinner; thinnest

Synonyms of thin next

: having little extent from one surface to its opposite

thin paper

: measuring little in cross section or diameter

thin rope

: not dense in arrangement or distribution

thin hair

: not well fleshed : lean

: more fluid or rarefied than normal

thin air

: having less than the usual number : scanty

thin attendance

: few in number : scarce

: scantily supplied

: characterized by a paucity of bids or offerings

a thin market

: lacking substance or strength

thin broth

a thin plot

of a soil : infertile, poor

: flimsy, unconvincing

a thin disguise

: disappointingly poor or hard

had a thin time of it

: somewhat feeble, shrill, and lacking in resonance

a thin voice

: lacking in intensity or brilliance

thin light

: lacking sufficient photographic density or contrast

thinly adverb

thinness

ˈthin-nəs

noun

thinnish

ˈthi-nish

adjective

thin

2 of 3

verb

thinned; thinning

transitive verb

: to make thin or thinner:

: to reduce in thickness or depth : attenuate

: to make less dense or viscous

: dilute, weaken

: to cause to lose flesh

thinned by weeks of privation

: to reduce in number or bulk

intransitive verb

: to become thin or thinner

: 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

: scarce sense 1

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Adjective

From pencil thin brows to cool-toned smokey eyes, all the cool girls are channeling that iconic vintage supermodel aesthetic. —

Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 13 Jan. 2025 The faux leather exterior is sleek and practical for this time of year, while the inside has a thin fleece lining to keep you warm. —

Nicol Natale, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025

Verb

Progestin helps prevent pregnancy by thickening cervical mucus, thinning the uterine lining, and inhibiting sperm movement. —

Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 14 Jan. 2025 Homeowners must thin or remove vegetation up to 100 feet from the edge of buildings. —

Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Adverb

But the ongoing Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire and Hurst Fire, which have engulfed over 16,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon, have left first responders stretched thin, according to Anthony C. Marrone, the fire chief of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department. —

Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2025 With firefighters stretched thin, with three major fires burning in L.A. County as of Wednesday afternoon, residents such as Matsuura decided to stay and wage a battle to save their homes. —

James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for thin

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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Thin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

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Kids Definition

thin

1 of 2 adjective

ˈthin

thinner; thinnest

: having little extent from one surface to its opposite

thin paper

: having widely scattered units

thin hair

: having too little flesh

a tall thin boy

: less dense than normal

thin air

: lacking substance or strength

thin broth

thin excuses

: somewhat weak or shrill

a thin voice

thinly adverb

thinness

ˈthin-nəs

noun

thin

2 of 2 verb

thinned; thinning

: to make or become thin

: to reduce in number especially to prevent crowding

thin young carrots in the garden

Last Updated: 16 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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thin

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adverb

Synonyms

Examples of thin in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near thin

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition