thick
Americanadjective
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having relatively great extent from one surface or side to the opposite; not thin.
a thick slice.
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measured, as specified, between opposite surfaces, from top to bottom, or in a direction perpendicular to that of the length and breadth; (of a solid having three general dimensions) measured across its smallest dimension.
a board one inch thick.
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composed of or containing objects, particles, etc., close together; dense: a thick forest.
a thick fog;
a thick forest.
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filled, covered, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).
tables thick with dust.
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husky or hoarse; not distinctly articulated.
The patient's speech is still quite thick.
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markedly so (as specified).
a thick German accent.
- Synonyms:
- decided, pronounced, strong
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deep or profound.
thick darkness.
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(of a liquid) heavy or viscous.
a thick syrup.
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Informal. close in friendship; intimate.
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disagreeably excessive or exaggerated.
They thought it a bit thick when he called himself a genius.
adverb
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in a thick manner.
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close together; closely packed.
The roses grew thick along the path.
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in a manner to produce something thick.
Slice the cheese thick.
noun
idioms
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lay it on thick, to praise excessively; flatter.
He's laying it on thick because he wants you to do him a favor.
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through thick and thin, under favorable and unfavorable conditions; steadfastly.
We have been friends for 20 years, through thick and thin.
adjective
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of relatively great extent from one surface to the other; fat, broad, or deep
a thick slice of bread
-
-
(postpositive) of specific fatness
ten centimetres thick
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( in combination )
a six-inch-thick wall
-
-
having a relatively dense consistency; not transparent
thick soup
-
abundantly covered or filled
a piano thick with dust
-
impenetrable; dense
a thick fog
-
stupid, slow, or insensitive
a thick person
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throaty or badly articulated
a voice thick with emotion
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(of accents, etc) pronounced
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informal very friendly (esp in the phrase thick as thieves )
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unfair or excessive
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informal a blow on the ear delivered as punishment, in anger, etc
adverb
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in order to produce something thick
to slice bread thick
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profusely; in quick succession (esp in the phrase thick and fast )
-
informal
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to exaggerate a story, statement, etc
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to flatter excessively
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noun
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a thick piece or part
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the busiest or most intense part
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in good times and bad
Other Word Forms
- overthick adjective
- overthickly adverb
- overthickness noun
- superthick adjective
- thickish adjective
- thickly adverb
- unthick adjective
- unthickly adverb
- unthickness noun
Etymology
Origin of thick
First recorded before 900; (adjective and adverb) Middle English thikke, Old English thicce; cognate with Dutch dik, German dick; akin to Old Norse thykkr (noun) Middle English, derivative of the adj.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Making a thicker cuticle uses more of these resources, which could restrict how many individuals a colony can support.
From Science Daily
Moving a thick, sticky material requires more energy than shifting a free flowing liquid, similar to how stirring honey takes more effort than stirring water.
From Science Daily
For years, Gracie lived with plastic bronchitis, a condition that causes thick, protein-like material to build up in the airways.
From Science Daily
A video posted on social media shows a thick cloud of white smoke covering an underground section of a metro station, with some people standing at a distance.
From Barron's
When I go home and I’m around my family — my grandma has a very thick Cajun accent — it comes out.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.