thin

1 of 3

adjective

ˈthin How to pronounce thin (audio)
thinner; thinnest
Synonyms of thinnext
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
ˈthin-nəs How to pronounce thin (audio)
noun
thinnish
ˈthi-nish How to pronounce thin (audio)
adjective
see also:
thin on the ground

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
: dilute, weaken
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

Synonyms of thin

Relevance

Adjective

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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
Perhaps seawater’s viscosity — which decreases as temperature increases, making the water thinner —affects ciliary movements, Shapiro said. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 The imagery and time-lapse video reveal an unprecedented look at the sun’s complex and dynamic photosphere, the visible surface of the sun that exists as a thin layer of atmosphere shaped by magnetic fields and currents of fluid plasma. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
Speculation about a wig has seemingly increased as the president has aged and his hair has thinned, with public appearances over the years where his hair is blown by the wind becoming fodder for jokes about it. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 As collagen production declines with age, that support breaks down, which is a key reason why skin gradually thins and develops fine lines and wrinkles. — Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
Adverb
District officials warned against budgeting money that had not yet been appropriated, while educators, their unions and other supporters argued that failing to do so would certainly trigger deeper cuts to classrooms already stretched thin. — Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Ramey warns things could get worse, with California still relatively quiet so far but firefighting resources already stretched thin. — Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing thin

Rhymes for thin

See All Rhymes for thin

Browse Nearby Words

Thimphu
thin
thin-boiling starch
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

thin

1 of 2 adjective
ˈthin How to pronounce thin (audio)
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
ˈthin-nəs How to pronounce thin (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on thin

Nglish: Translation of thin for Spanish Speakers

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