fine

¹ American  

[fahyn] / faɪn /

adjective

finer, comparative finest superlative

1. of superior or best quality; of high or highest grade.

   fine wine.

   Synonyms:

   select, perfect, consummate, finished

   Antonyms:

   inferior

2. choice, excellent, or admirable.

   a fine painting.

3. satisfactory or acceptable; okay: The story is fine for a class assignment but not good enough to publish in the school paper.

   It's fine with me if you don't want to go.

   The story is fine for a class assignment but not good enough to publish in the school paper.

4. consisting of minute particles.

   fine sand;

   a fine purée.

5. very thin or slender.

   fine thread.

6. keen or sharp, as a tool.

   Is the knife fine enough to carve well?

   Synonyms:

   acute

7. delicate in texture; filmy.

   fine cotton fabric.

8. delicately fashioned.

   fine tracery.

9. highly skilled or accomplished.

   a fine musician.

10. trained to the maximum degree, as an athlete.

11. characterized by or affecting refinement or elegance.

    a fine lady.

12. polished or refined.

    fine manners.

13. affectedly ornate or elegant.

    A style so fine repels the average reader.

14. delicate or subtle.

    a fine distinction.

15. bright and clear.

    a fine day;

    fine skin.

16. healthy; well.

    In spite of his recent illness, he looks fine.

17. showy or smart; elegant in appearance.

    a bird of fine plumage.

18. good-looking or handsome.

    a fine young man.

19. (of a precious metal or its alloy) free from impurities or containing a large amount of pure metal.

    fine gold; Sterling silver is 92.5 percent fine.

20. (used ironically or as an intensifier) terrible or unacceptable: Not inviting me—that’s a fine way to treat a friend!

    It’s a fine mess you’ve got us into!

    Not inviting me—that’s a fine way to treat a friend!

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adverb

1. Informal. in an excellent manner; very well.

   She's now free of pain and can walk just fine.

2. Informal. satisfactorily; acceptably.

   I did fine but not great on my final exams.

3. very small.

   She writes so fine I can hardly read it.

4. Billiards, Pool. in such a way that the driven ball barely touches the object ball in passing.

5. Nautical. as efficiently close as possible into the wind, just short of pinching.

   sailing fine.

verb (used without object)

fined, fining

1. to become fine or finer, as by refining.

2. to become less, as in size or proportions; reduce; diminish (often followed bydown ).

   The plumpness fines down with exercise.

verb (used with object)

fined, fining

1. to make fine or finer, especially by refining or pulverizing.

2. to reduce the size or proportions of (often used with down oraway ).

   to fine down the heavy features; to fine away superfluous matter in a design.

3. to clarify (wines or spirits) by filtration.

noun

1. fines,

   1. Mining. crushed ore sufficiently fine to pass through a given screen.

   2. Agriculture. the fine bits of corn kernel knocked off during handling of the grain.

idioms

1. cut fine, to calculate precisely, especially without allowing for possible error or accident.

   To finish in ten minutes is to cut it too fine.

fine ² American  

[fahyn] / faɪn /

noun

1. a sum of money imposed as a penalty for an offense or dereliction.

   a parking fine.

2. Law. a fee paid by a feudal tenant to the landlord, as on the renewal of tenure.

3. English Law. (formerly) a conveyance of land through decree of a court, based upon a simulated lawsuit.

4. Archaic. a penalty of any kind.

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verb (used with object)

fined, fining

1. to subject to a fine or pecuniary penalty; punish by a fine.

   The judge fined him and released him on parole.

idioms

1. in fine,

   1. in short; briefly.

   2. in conclusion; finally.

      It was, in fine, a fitting end to the story.

fine ³ American  

[fee-ney] / ˈfi neɪ /

noun

Music.

1. the end of a repeated section, whether da capo or dal segno.

2. the end of a composition that consists of several movements.

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fine ⁴ American  

[feen] / fin /

noun

1. ordinary French brandy, usually with no indication of the maker's name or location.

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fine ¹ British  

/ faɪn /

adjective

1. excellent or choice in quality; very good of its kind

   a fine speech

2. superior in skill, ability, or accomplishment

   a fine violinist

3. (of weather) clear and dry

4. enjoyable or satisfying

   a fine time

5. informal (postpositive) quite well; in satisfactory health

   I feel fine

6. satisfactory; acceptable

   that's fine by me

7. of delicate composition or careful workmanship

   fine crystal

8. (of precious metals) pure or having a high or specified degree of purity

   fine silver

   gold 98 per cent fine

9. subtle in perception; discriminating

   a fine eye for antique brasses

10. abstruse or subtle

    a fine point in argument

11. very thin or slender

    fine hair

12. very small

    fine dust

    fine print

13. (of edges, blades, etc) sharp; keen

14. ornate, showy, or smart

15. good-looking; handsome

    a fine young woman

16. polished, elegant, or refined

    a fine gentleman

17. morally upright and commendable

    a fine man

18. cricket (of a fielding position) oblique to and behind the wicket

    fine leg

19. informal (prenominal) disappointing or terrible

    a fine mess

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adverb

1. informal quite well; all right

   that suits me fine

2. a nonstandard word for finely

3. billiards snooker (of a stroke on the cue ball) so as to merely brush the object ball

4. to allow little margin of time, space, etc

verb

1. to make or become finer; refine

2. to make or become smaller

3. (tr) to clarify (wine, etc) by adding finings

4. (tr) billiards snooker to hit (a cue ball) fine

5. informal (of the weather) to become fine

fine ² British  

/ faɪn /

noun

1. a certain amount of money exacted as a penalty

   a parking fine

2. a payment made by a tenant at the start of his tenancy to reduce his subsequent rent; premium

3. feudal law a sum of money paid by a man to his lord, esp for the privilege of transferring his land to another

4. a method of transferring land in England by bringing a fictitious law suit: abolished 1833

5. 1. in short; briefly

   2. in conclusion; finally

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verb

1. (tr) to impose a fine on

fine ³ British  

/ ˈfiːneɪ /

noun

1. the point at which a piece is to end, usually after a da capo or dal segno

2. an ending or finale

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fine ⁴ British  

/ fin /

noun

1. brandy of ordinary quality

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fine More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fine

• come on in (the water's fine)
• cut it fine
• in fine feather

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Synonym Usage

Fine, choice, elegant, exquisite are terms of praise with reference to quality. Fine is a general term: a fine horse, person, book. Choice implies a discriminating selection of the object in question: a choice piece of steak. Elegant suggests a refined and graceful superiority that is generally associated with luxury and a cultivated taste: elegant furnishings. Exquisite suggests an admirable delicacy, finish, or perfection: an exquisite piece of lace.

Other Word Forms

Adjective Inflected Forms

• finer
  comparative
• finest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of fine¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ffyn, fin, fyin, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Medieval Latin finus “pure, fine,” from Latin fīnis “end, utmost limit, highest point” (as in fīnis bonōrum et malōrum “the highest good and evil”)

Origin of fine²

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English fin, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin fīnis “end,” Medieval Latin: “settlement, payment”

Origin of fine³

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Italian, from Latin fīnis “end”

Origin of fine⁴

First recorded in 1920–25; short for French fine (champagne) de la maison “bar brandy”; cf. Fine Champagne

Explanation

A fine is a fee you pay when you break the rules, as in not turning in library materials on time, resulting in a fine. As an adjective, fine means "high quality" or "unblemished" like fine china. If you read music, you know that fine is a spot where the music finishes. Wine, food or porcelain that is exceptionally delicious, well-made, or beautiful is called fine. Fine also means that things are okay or acceptable, like when someone asks how you are and you reply, “I'm fine.” When you are caught doing something wrong, paying a fine, money paid as a penalty, may result.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fine finer finest fined fining

She said she would "not oppose" her atas leaving her, saying it would be "fine" if they "ran away on their own".

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

The firm had until 12 June to pay the fine.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Sam DeCaro, director of clinical outreach and education at the Renfrew Center, described a common misconception: that undereating is fine for people who are not considered underweight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

They were places where people remembered each other: who was sick, who had disappeared, who had a new doctor, who was pretending to be fine.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

Ugh, fine Meet me outside at 8 am?

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Quite a few religions were considered cults in the beginning, Christianity among them, so it does make some sense not to wade too deeply into the finer distinctions.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

There are finer moments in American cinema, more brilliant, more profound and poetic, but there is no greater moment in American cinema.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Also on the agenda for Arsenal this summer is to finalise the finer details of a new contract for right-back Jurrien Timber.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

“They’re the ones I feel best about because they’re in the trenches every day and they’re wanting kids to appreciate the finer things in our culture, in our history,” says Duffield.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

Rut wordless conditioning is crude and wholesale; cannot bring home the finer distinctions, cannot inculcate the more complex courses of behaviour.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

America’s finest film critic writes this week about Christopher Nolan’s rendering of “The Odyssey”:

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

His “Peaky Blinders” co-star Cillian Murphy remembered Neill as “one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors,” while Nicole Kidman celebrated Neill as “one of the greats.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Who tells arguably the finest player the sport has ever produced that somebody else should take responsibility?

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

"The Odyssey" is an Ancient Greek poem believed to have been written by Homer that is considered a cornerstone of Western literature and one of the finest stories ever created.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

“This one is made of red sandalwood and dates to the Qing dynasty. It’s our finest piece.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

If found guilty, the companies and trade associations could be fined up to 10% of their global annual turnover.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Anyone who refuses to pay could face a £100 penalty or legal action, while those caught littering could be fined £1,000.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

If the commission ultimately rules that they are guilty, the companies and trade associations could be fined up to 10% of their global annual turnover.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The Neapolitan brand, which denied any link between these advertising campaigns and the Games, was fined 500,000 euros.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

June 18, 1873: Susan B. Anthony fined $100 for attempting to vote.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos

Ofwat proposed fining SEW £22m in March over disruptions affecting 286,000 people between 2020 and 2023.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026

That’s not only because judges are fining more lawyers for their laziness, but because the publicity about these embarrassments has been inescapable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026

The league could escalate from fining teams to outright revoking their draft picks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026

So can Sanders actually start fining players on his team for these violations?

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026

Her words sliced through the air and the cries and shouts and grunts coming from everyone in the tangled mass of bodies fining the stairs from top to bottom went silent.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

Related Words

• accomplished
• admirable
• attractive
• beautiful
• cool
• elegant
• exceptional
• expensive
• exquisite
• fashionable
• first-rate
• great
• handsome
• lovely
• magnificent
• neat
• outstanding
• pleasant
• rare
• refined