thinner

¹ American  

[thin-er] / ˈθɪn ər /

noun

1. a volatile liquid, as turpentine, used to dilute paint, varnish, rubber cement, etc., to the desired or proper consistency.

2. a person who adds thinners to paints, varnishes, etc.

3. a person who specializes in weeding plants, pruning shrubbery, thinning fruit, etc.

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thinner ² American  

[thin-er] / ˈθɪn ər /

adjective

1. comparative of thin.

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thinner British  

/ ˈθɪnə /

noun

1. (often plural, functioning as singular) a solvent, such as turpentine, added to paint or varnish to dilute it, reduce its opacity or viscosity, or increase its penetration into the ground

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Etymology

Origin of thinner

First recorded in 1825–35; thin + -er ¹

Example Sentences

If Step 3’s pretextual jury-striking analysis can be skipped in practice and insulated on review, Batson’s promise becomes thinner still.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Persistent weakness in the currency can negatively impact everything, feeding into higher prices for consumers, lower corporate margins, bigger government deficits and thinner capital flows into the stock market.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

He later founded APP Pharmaceuticals, a maker of blood thinner heparin, and Abraxis BioScience, where he created breakthrough chemotherapy drug Abraxane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

India could soon get a lot thinner - at least in theory.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Not skinny thin like she used to be when she was a girl, the way the twins are now, but definitely thinner.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

• delicate
• fragile
• gaunt
• lean
• meager
• narrow
• skinny
• slim
• small