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• trim
  trim

  verb (used with object)

  to put into a neat or orderly condition by clipping, paring, pruning, etc..
• Trim
  Trim

  noun

  the county town of Meath, Republic of Ireland; 12th-century castle, medieval cathedral; textiles and machinery. Pop: 5894 (2002)

trim

American  

[trim] / trɪm /

verb (used with object)

• trims,
  present (3rd person singular)
• trimmed,
  past participle,  past
• trimming
  present participle

1. to put into a neat or orderly condition by clipping, paring, pruning, etc..

   to trim a hedge.

   Synonyms:

   lop, cut, shave, shear

2. to remove (something superfluous or dispensable) by or as if by cutting (often followed byoff ).

   to trim off loose threads from a ragged edge.

3. to cut down, as to required size or shape.

   trim a budget; trim a piece of wood.

4. Aeronautics. to level off (an airship or airplane) in flight.

5. Nautical.

   1. to distribute the load of (a ship) so that it sits well in the water.

   2. to stow or arrange, as cargo.

   3. to adjust (the sails or yards) with reference to the direction of the wind and the course of the ship.

6. to decorate or adorn with ornaments or embellishments.

   to trim a dress with fur.

   Synonyms:

   garnish, embellish, ornament, bedeck, deck

7. to arrange goods in (a store window, showcase, etc.) as a display.

8. to prepare or adjust (a lamp, fire, etc.) for proper burning.

9. Informal.

   1. to rebuke or reprove.

   2. to beat or thrash.

   3. to defeat.

10. to dress or array (often followed byup ).

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verb (used without object)

• trims,
  present (3rd person singular)
• trimmed,
  past participle,  past
• trimming
  present participle

1. Nautical.

   1. to assume a particular position or trim in the water, as a vessel.

   2. to adjust the sails or yards with reference to the direction of the wind and the course of the ship.

2. to pursue a neutral or cautious policy between parties.

3. to accommodate one's views to the prevailing opinion for reasons of expediency.

noun

• trims
  plural

1. the condition, order, or fitness of a person or thing for action, work, use, etc.

2. Nautical.

   1. the set of a ship in the water, especially the most advantageous one.

   2. the condition of a ship with reference to its fitness for sailing.

   3. the adjustment of sails, rigging, etc., with reference to wind direction and the course of the ship.

   4. the condition of a submarine as regards buoyancy.

3. a person's dress, adornment, or appearance.

4. material used for decoration or embellishment; decorative trimming.

   Synonyms:

   garnish, adornment

5. decoration of a store window for the display of merchandise; window dressing.

6. a trimming by cutting, clipping, or the like.

7. a haircut that restores the previous cut to neatness without changing the hairstyle.

8. something that is cut off or eliminated.

9. Aeronautics. the attitude of an airplane with respect to all three axes, at which balance occurs in forward flight under no controls.

10. Building Trades. finished woodwork or the like used to decorate or border openings or wall surfaces, as cornices, baseboards, or moldings.

11. Automotive.

    1. the upholstery, knobs, handles, and other equipment inside a motor car.

    2. ornamentation on the exterior of an automobile, especially in metal or a contrasting color.

adjective

• trimmer,
  comparative
• trimmest
  superlative

1. pleasingly neat or smart in appearance.

   trim lawns.

   Synonyms:

   spruce, trig, compact

2. in good condition or order.

3. (of a person) in excellent physical condition.

   Swimming is a good way to keep trim.

4. slim; lean.

5. Obsolete. good, excellent, or fine.

adverb

1. trimly.

idioms

1. trim one's sails. sail.

trim ¹ British  

/ trɪm /

adjective

1. neat and spruce in appearance

2. slim; slender

3. in good condition

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verb

1. to put in good order, esp by cutting or pruning

2. to shape and finish (timber)

3. to adorn or decorate

4. to cut so as to remove

   to trim off a branch

5. to cut down to the desired size or shape

   to trim material to a pattern

6. dialect to decorate

   to trim a Christmas tree

7. nautical

   1. (also intr) to adjust the balance of (a vessel) or (of a vessel) to maintain an even balance, by distribution of ballast, cargo, etc

   2. (also intr) to adjust (a vessel's sails) to take advantage of the wind

   3. to stow (cargo)

8. to balance (an aircraft) before flight by adjusting the position of the load or in flight by the use of trim tabs, fuel transfer, etc

9. (also intr) to modify (one's opinions, etc) to suit opposing factions or for expediency

10. informal to thrash or beat

11. informal to rebuke

12. obsolete to furnish or equip

noun

1. a decoration or adornment

2. the upholstery and decorative facings, as on the door panels, of a car's interior

3. proper order or fitness; good shape

   in trim

4. a haircut that neatens but does not alter the existing hairstyle

5. nautical

   1. the general set and appearance of a vessel

   2. the difference between the draught of a vessel at the bow and at the stern

   3. the fitness of a vessel

   4. the position of a vessel's sails relative to the wind

   5. the relative buoyancy of a submarine

6. dress or equipment

7. window-dressing

8. the attitude of an aircraft in flight when the pilot allows the main control surfaces to take up their own positions

9. films a section of shot cut out during editing

10. material that is trimmed off

11. decorative mouldings, such as architraves, picture rails, etc

Trim ² British  

/ trɪm /

noun

1. the county town of Meath, Republic of Ireland; 12th-century castle, medieval cathedral; textiles and machinery. Pop: 5894 (2002)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• trimness
  noun
• overtrim
  verb
• pretrim
  verb
• trimly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• trims
  plural

Adjectives

• trimmer
  comparative
• trimmest
  superlative

Participles

• trimming
  present
• trimmed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• trim
  simple
• trims
  simple
• have trimmed
  perfect
• has trimmed
  perfect
• am trimming
  progressive
• are trimming
  progressive
• is trimming
  progressive
• have been trimming
  perfect progressive
• has been trimming
  perfect progressive

Past

• trimmed
  simple
• had trimmed
  perfect
• was trimming
  progressive
• were trimming
  progressive
• had been trimming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will trim
  simple
• will have trimmed
  perfect
• will be trimming
  progressive
• will have been trimming
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of trim

First recorded before 900; probably continuing Old English trymman, trymian “to strengthen, prepare” (not recorded in ME), derivative of trum “strong, active”; akin to Irish dron “strong,” Greek drȳmós “coppice,” Latin dūrus “hard”; see tree

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Explanation

When you cut something, literally or figuratively, you trim it. If you have steady hands, you can trim your own bangs. If you don't have steady hands, you can save up for a professional haircut by trimming the amount of money you spend on comics and snacks. A landscaper trims the grass and shrubs, and a cook trims fat off of meat before cooking it. But when you trim the Christmas tree, you decorate it, and when a sailor trims the sails, she adjusts them so they'll catch the wind just right. And as a noun, a trim is "an act of cutting," while trim is "decoration." All forms of this word are rooted in nautical language.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trim Trim trims trimmer trimmest trimmed trimming

If you’re considering giving a child $20,000 or so, you may want to trim your generosity to $19,000 in 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

Now the German company wants to trim by another half-million units.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

"There's just no more fat to trim," says the mother-of-two.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

In July, Sharma shared plans to cut about 20% of Xbox’s staff, and trim the number of games it makes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

My grandparents’ house has red brick and bright white trim and a pretty garden full of flowers because they love gardening.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

The accused, who was arrested on Wednesday, was brought before a special sitting of Trim District Court in County Meath on Friday evening.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

At the top of Trim Mountain we find the Prestige package.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

Trim positions if you have to, but hold on to the shares of this AI winner.

From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025

Trim lower tree branches and keep woodpiles away from vegetation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025

When Corporal Trim had about half finished it in that style——my uncle Toby found out a capital defect in it, which he had never thoroughly considered before.

From The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne

It trims its share-price target on the stock to A$74.00 from A$75.00, but keeps an outperform rating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

That was slightly below the midpoint of an earlier company forecast, as it trims its expectations for ad sales due to a “slightly slower-than-expected rollout of some ad-product capabilities.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

It has an “outperform” call on Deep Yellow, and trims its price target by 2.5%, to A$1.95/share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

UBS trims its share-price target on Lynas to A$21.00 from A$22.50.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Clara trims the hair around my head and ears until I’m practically bald.

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

Men with enormous beards that have never known the touch of a trimmer.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2024

Flag football’s five-a-side line-ups mean trimmer rosters compared to the swamped sidelines of tackle football, making for a more compelling case given the IOC's intention to streamline athlete numbers.

From BBC ● May 6, 2024

From the trunk of his car, Ito retrieved the first of several tools — an orange Black & Decker weed trimmer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2023

“We’ve never raced here before, it’s light airs and Kyle Langford, our wing trimmer, had to withdraw from the event. This is the one I see as a tough one for us.”

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

The man in front of me—David—is in it, next to my mother, his face a little smoother, his middle a little trimmer.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

This design gives the A8F a stunning presentation of just a giant display with the trimmest of bezels surrounding it.

From The Verge ● Nov. 2, 2018

The company has an annual voluntary 12-week challenge in the fall to encourage employees to be active and not pack on the holiday pounds, with prizes for those who stay trimmest.

From Forbes ● Feb. 25, 2011

He found the ideal right-hand man in Stanton, who has streamlined CBS into the trimmest organization in broadcasting.

From Time Magazine Archive

Young, rich Stephen Carlton Clark had married Susan Hun, descendant of brownest, trimmest Albany ancestors.

From Time Magazine Archive

I would not change her now for the finest palace which floats on the Hudson, or the trimmest of the Hutchesons’ beautiful West Highland fleet.

From The Hawaiian Archipelago by Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy) Bird

But the Vikings trimmed the lead on Tyler Thornton’s 33-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

TV stars Nick and Vanessa Lachey have trimmed $500,000 off the asking price of their longtime “dream home,” as they prepare to bid farewell to California.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

The more policy-sensitive trimmed mean measure of inflation rose 3.6% in September from a year earlier, slightly higher than August’s 3.5%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

"What am I supposed to make of this? We're going to war," Irinkov told AFP as he trimmed the plants in his garden on a windy day.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

The yard was neatly trimmed, but it didn’t have any flower beds or a little vegetable garden like Ivy’s house had.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

It’s a more optic-friendly approach to trimming staff after mass layoffs in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Designer Brands, the company behind footwear chain DSW, spent the past year trimming stock while ensuring it has the right seasonal inventory available for shoppers this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Mohammed Ashim has been cutting hair and trimming beards for four years in Bengaluru.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Infosys drops after trimming its guidance and reporting a decline in earnings per share.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

‘Nothing! Leastways I was just trimming the grass-border under the window, if you follow me.’

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Related Words

• clip
• curtail
• cut
• cut back
• cut down
• mow
• pare
• prune
• shave
• shear
• shorten
• whittle down

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