thin
C1Neutral to formal; widely used across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
Having little distance between opposite surfaces; not thick.
Having a small number of people or things relative to space; lacking density, substance, or intensity; appearing weak or insubstantial.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can describe physical dimension, density, consistency (liquids), population distribution, quality of sound/light, and abstract concepts like arguments or excuses.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slight preference in UK for 'thin' as a verb in cooking ('thin the sauce'), while US may use 'thin out'. The phrase 'thin on the ground' is more common in UK English.
Connotations
Largely identical. Both carry potential negative connotations when describing people (implying underweight).
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
thin (adj)thin (v) something outthin (v) downgrow thinwear thinspread thinVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “disappear/vanish into thin air”
- “skate/walk on thin ice”
- “the thin end of the wedge”
- “spread oneself too thin”
- “thin on the ground”
- “wear thin”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'We're operating on razor-thin margins this quarter.' (Describing low profit margins)
Academic
'The evidence for this hypothesis remains thin.' (Describing insufficient evidence)
Everyday
'Could you slice the bread a bit thinner, please?'
Technical
'Apply a thin coating of the polymer to the substrate.' (Manufacturing/Engineering)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- You'll need to thin the seedlings to give them space to grow.
- The morning mist began to thin as the sun rose.
American English
- We should thin out these files before the audit.
- The crowd thinned after the main act finished.
adverb
British English
- Slice the garlic very thin for this recipe.
- The fabric was woven too thin and tore easily.
American English
- Cut the potatoes thin so they crisp up.
- He spread the butter too thin on the toast.
adjective
British English
- She wore a thin jacket despite the cold.
- His patience was wearing thin.
American English
- The paint was applied in a thin layer.
- Support for the policy is thin outside the capital.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The paper is very thin.
- My brother is tall and thin.
- She has thin hair.
- The ice on the pond is too thin for skating.
- Add a thin layer of jam to the cake.
- His explanation seemed rather thin.
- The company's profits have been eroded to a thin margin.
- After the illness, his face looked gaunt and thin.
- The argument is thin on factual support.
- The coalition government rests on a razor-thin majority.
- His veneer of confidence was wearing thin under persistent questioning.
- The population is thin on the ground in the mountainous regions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'THIN' person wearing a T-shirt that's too big - the shirt hangs loosely because there's little body inside.
Conceptual Metaphor
LACK OF SUBSTANCE IS THINNESS (e.g., a thin argument, thin evidence). QUANTITY/AMOUNT IS THICKNESS (opposite).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'тонкий' for abstract 'thin' (e.g., 'thin excuse' is 'слабый предлог', not 'тонкий предлог').
- For 'thin hair', Russian often uses 'редкие волосы' (rare hair), not a direct adjective.
- Confusion with 'thin' vs. 'fine' (e.g., 'thin wire' vs. 'fine wire' – often both are 'тонкий' in Russian).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'thin' for flat objects when 'narrow' is better (e.g., 'a thin road' -> 'a narrow road').
- Overusing 'thin' negatively for people; 'slim' or 'slender' are more neutral.
- Incorrect verb pattern: 'He thinned the soup' (correct) vs. 'He thinned out the soup' (also correct, but pattern differs).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following uses of 'thin' is metaphorical?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always, but it often carries a negative or clinical connotation, implying underweight. More neutral alternatives are 'slim', 'slender', or 'lean'.
'Thin' refers to the distance between opposite surfaces of an object (e.g., a thin book). 'Narrow' refers to the distance between the sides of something, often describing width from a single perspective (e.g., a narrow road). A piece of string can be both thin and narrow.
Yes. It means to make or become less dense, crowded, or thick. Common patterns are 'thin something' (thin the sauce) or 'thin out' (the traffic thinned out).
It means scarce or not present in large numbers (e.g., 'Good mechanics are thin on the ground in this town'). It is more common in British English.