thick
Americanadjective
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thicker,
comparative
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thickest
superlative
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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
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(postpositive) of specific fatness
ten centimetres thick
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( in combination )
a six-inch-thick wall
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having a relatively dense consistency; not transparent
thick soup
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abundantly covered or filled
a piano thick with dust
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impenetrable; dense
a thick fog
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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 )
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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
Derived Forms
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overthicknessnoun
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unthicknessnoun
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overthickadjective
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superthickadjective
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thickishadjective
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unthickadjective
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overthicklyadverb
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thicklyadverb
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unthicklyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
Explanation
When something's thick, it's wide from one side to the other, like a thick piece of French toast or a thick layer of snow on your car. Thick things are broad or bulky or decidedly not thin — think of the thick slab of ice you need in order to skate safely on a lake. Thick can also mean "dense," like a thick chocolate milkshake, or your sister's thick, curly hair. If the kid who sits beside you in math class sees your test grade and calls you thick, it's not a compliment: she means you're not very smart.
Vocabulary lists containing thick
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.
See Examples For:
The entire area has been blanketed by a thick plume of yellowish smoke, prompting the partial evacuation of two villages close by.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
"It was a hell of a scene... thick smoke and just something I've never seen before," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
When sent a list of questions about the devices, which resemble thick work gloves, Compliant Technologies declined to comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Wells onshore are producing thick product. Offshore is like water — it comes right out,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
She moved around all right, even though her legs were always covered with thick stockings.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
She explains that thicker straps are a safer option where the dress code is unclear and recommends satin camisoles as a more polished alternative to basic cotton vests.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“It’s thicker than two Sears catalogs. Rules that govern home school and private school in West Virginia — those will fit on an index card.”
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Different bacteria "talk" with one another and release substances that make the biofilm thicker, heavier, and more protective.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Long cables must be thicker to compensate for the current over a longer distance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The back two sections looked a little thicker than the others, but Bat didn’t think Janie would notice.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
In his 30 years at Nike, Bignell has helped lead the development of some of the sneaker giant’s most cutting-edge running shoes, including the Vomero Premium, which features one of the market’s thickest, most-cushioned soles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
The haze surrounding the planet appears to be the thickest ever detected on a world, making it extremely difficult to identify the chemical makeup of its atmosphere or trace its origins.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2026
It’s almost as if the Reds were intimidated even before the game began, as the Dodgers buried them in their thickest pregame brine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
Next, add thickest pieces of seafood, saving shrimp for last as they need the least amount of cook time.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2025
In a storm where even the thickest tree could fall he knew the wiry coconut tree was the strongest of all.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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.
