thick: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral; common in all registers from informal to formal, depending on the context.
Quick answer
What does “thick” mean?
Having a large distance between opposite surfaces.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Having a large distance between opposite surfaces; not thin.
Used to describe dense consistency (liquid), abundant presence (hair, vegetation), heavy atmosphere (fog, air), close friendship, limited intelligence, and significant degree (accent).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slight preference in AmE for 'thick' over 'dense' in describing crowds/fog. BrE more likely to use 'thick as thieves' (idiom). The informal, pejorative sense for 'stupid' is equally common in both.
Connotations
In both, describing a person as 'thick' is informal and derogatory. Describing soup/fog as 'thick' is neutral-negative. Describing a book as 'thick' is neutral.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties with minimal difference.
Grammar
How to Use “thick” in a Sentence
thick with something (e.g., The air was thick with dust.)thick as [comparison] (e.g., as thick as two short planks)ADJ + N (primary pattern)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thick” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Used in phrasal verb 'thicken' (to become thick).
- The plot thickens. (idiomatic)
American English
- Used in phrasal verb 'thicken' (to become thick).
- The mystery thickens. (idiomatic)
adverb
British English
- The snow was falling thick and fast.
- Slice the cheese thick for the sandwich.
American English
- The requests came in thick and fast.
- Cut the steak thick, please.
adjective
British English
- She cut a thick slice of bread.
- The fog was too thick to drive safely.
- He's got a thick Yorkshire accent.
American English
- He ordered a thick milkshake.
- We walked through a thick forest.
- Her new textbook is really thick.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare in core business jargon. May appear in metaphors: 'We need a thick layer of compliance checks.'
Academic
Used in scientific contexts (thick sections, thick fluids), geography (thick vegetation), and literary analysis (thick description).
Everyday
Very common: describing food, weather, objects, and people (informally).
Technical
Used in engineering (thick-walled), materials science (viscosity), and meteorology (cloud thickness).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thick”
- Using 'fat' instead of 'thick' for inanimate objects (e.g., 'a fat book' is unnatural).
- Confusing 'thick' with 'wide' (width is horizontal extent, thickness is depth between surfaces).
- Overusing the pejorative sense for people in formal contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Fat' primarily describes living things (people, animals) with excess flesh, or can be offensive. 'Thick' describes the measurement between surfaces of objects (books, walls, slices) or density (soup, fog).
Yes, in its informal sense meaning 'stupid' or 'slow to understand,' it is derogatory and should be avoided in polite or formal conversation.
It means through all kinds of circumstances, both good and bad. It signifies unwavering loyalty and support over time.
Yes, but less commonly. It can mean the most active or crowded part (e.g., 'in the thick of the battle') or the part with the largest diameter (e.g., 'the thick of the tree trunk').
Having a large distance between opposite surfaces.
Thick is usually neutral; common in all registers from informal to formal, depending on the context. in register.
Thick: in British English it is pronounced /θɪk/, and in American English it is pronounced /θɪk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “thick as thieves”
- “thick as two short planks”
- “through thick and thin”
- “lay it on thick”
- “in the thick of it”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a thick book: it has many pages stacked, making it NOT thin.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTELLIGENCE IS THINNESS / STUPIDITY IS THICKNESS (e.g., 'He's a bit thick.') | DIFFICULTY IS DENSITY / THICKNESS (e.g., 'We're in the thick of it now.')
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'thick' used to describe a close personal relationship?