dim
adjective
not bright; obscure from lack of light or emitted light.
dim
1 American
[dim]
/ dɪm /
adjective
-
dimmer,
comparative
-
dimmest
superlative
-
not bright; obscure from lack of light or emitted light.
a dim room; a dim flashlight.
-
not seen clearly or in detail; indistinct.
a dim object in the distance.
-
not clear to the mind; vague.
a dim idea.
- Synonyms:
- hazy, fuzzy, indistinct, indefinite, faint, unclear
-
not brilliant; dull in luster.
a dim color.
-
not clear or distinct to the senses; faint.
a dim sound.
-
not seeing clearly.
eyes dim with tears.
-
tending to be unfavorable; not likely to happen, succeed, be favorable, etc..
a dim chance of winning.
-
not understanding clearly.
-
rather stupid; dim-witted.
verb (used with object)
-
dims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dimmed,
past participle, past
-
dimming
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
dims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dimmed,
past participle, past
-
dimming
present participle
verb phrase
idioms
dim.
2
American
abbreviation
dim.
3
American
abbreviation
-
dimension.
-
diminish.
-
diminuendo.
-
diminutive.
dim
British
/ dɪm /
adjective
-
badly illuminated
a dim room
-
not clearly seen; indistinct; faint
a dim shape
-
having weak or indistinct vision
eyes dim with tears
-
lacking in understanding; mentally dull
-
not clear in the mind; obscure
a dim memory
-
lacking in brilliance, brightness, or lustre
a dim colour
-
tending to be unfavourable; gloomy or disapproving (esp in the phrase take a dim view )
verb
-
to become or cause to become dim
-
(tr) to cause to seem less bright, as by comparison
-
Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): dip. (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam
dim
More Idioms
Usage
What does dim mean? Dim describes something as lacking light or having a weak brightness, as in a dim flashlight or a dim tunnel. Dim also describes things that are unclear, because of poor visibility, a weak understanding, or a more general lack of clarity, as in a dim shape in the distance, a dim noise, or a dim knowledge of math. Dim also describes having weak or poor vision, as in Jane’s eyes were dim with tears. Dim can be used to mean lacking mental ability or having low intelligence. However, this is almost always considered insulting. As a verb, dim means to make something dim or less bright, as in He dimmed the lights. It can also be used to mean to grow dim or dimmer, as in The noise of the engine dimmed as the car drove out of sight. Example: Although the tunnel was dim, the faint candlelight guided the miner back to the surface.
Synonym Usage
See dark.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dimsimple
-
dimssimple
-
have dimmedperfect
-
has dimmedperfect
-
am dimmingprogressive
-
are dimmingprogressive
-
is dimmingprogressive
-
have been dimmingperfect progressive
-
has been dimmingperfect progressive
Past
-
dimmedsimple
-
had dimmedperfect
-
was dimmingprogressive
-
were dimmingprogressive
-
had been dimmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dim1
before 1000; Middle English, Old English dim ( me ), cognate with Old Frisian dim, Old Norse dimmr
Origin of dim.2
From the Latin word dīmidius
Explanation
Dim has several meanings related to a lack of light, hope, or knowledge. A room that is not well lit is dim, a slow thinker is dim, and when life looks hopeless, your prospects are dim. To dim a light is to dull it, like by putting a shade over it. A vague idea without a lot of specifics is also dim, since it's hard to see or understand the idea. Someone who's not very bright is dim or a dimwit. When things are hopeless, they're dim too. For example, if a football team is losing by fifty points, their chances of winning are dim.
Vocabulary lists containing dim
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Jonathan Czin of the Brookings Institution said the dim prospects for cooperation reflect divisions on both sides.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
It begins in a dim restaurant, glasses of wine giving off a burnished glow as the professor protagonist expounds on memory and the workings of the brain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
To do it, the instrument can maneuver a flexible mirror with near-atomic-scale precision to focus the bright starlight into a pinprick, then block it with a mask so it can observe the dim planet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Another weak labor-market report next Friday could easily dim hopes of a September rate hike, Brooks added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
But they were all dim, like they were running on reserve power.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
“It was looking pretty dim. Fifty-two, and you die right there, on your own property? That’s pretty sad. This gives a whole new meaning to life right now.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2023
"The establishment is saying if you don't go to college, your soul is lost and your future is quite dim. We are saying you can have perfectly fulfilling careers outside that path."
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2015
Parry spent many of his nights alone in his ascetic bedroom, the lights dim. his weighty frame slack on the bed.
From Time Magazine Archive
To outsiders he might seem a dim. ineffectual visionary, but to them he was a genuine Messiah.
From Time Magazine Archive
Pantalaimon at her ear, a goldfinch now, whispered, “Be stupid and dim. Be really slow and stupid.”
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Actor, singer and "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane wrote on X that "the world is a dimmer place without her."
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Of the roughly 10 repeating systems identified so far, four have shown flares that become progressively dimmer.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
As time ticked by, slowly but surely the Moon obscured more of the Sun - acting like a dimmer switch as it did so.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
That prospect was growing dimmer a few years later when playwrights such as Suzan-Lori Parks and Lynn Nottage came into prominence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
So the farther away we are from the Sun, the smaller and dimmer it appears.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
A 6.5 magnitude is generally the dimmest object the human eye can see.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2024
Such demolitions typically cause a much brighter display and rarely last longer than a year, so it would have to be the longest and dimmest so far.
From Science Magazine ● Jun. 17, 2024
"The fantasy of two-all going to The Oval had been enchanting to both sets of fans; only the dimmest partisans so crave trophies as to be gratified by non-results," he wrote.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2023
Today it’s sputtering, facing the dimmest prospects in decades, and China’s leaders are learning the hard way exactly what Mr. Wen meant.
From New York Times ● Jul. 22, 2023
Bracing myself against the wall, I drew out my hand lamp and thumbed it on to its dimmest setting.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
The economic progress dims hope for a nuclear deal with the U.S., since Washington has often dangled sanctions relief or economic incentives to get Pyongyang to freeze, halt or relinquish its nuclear program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Younger people have a generally sunnier starting point but that dims as they age - not a great surprise - and all age groups react to events similarly.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2026
Thinking about his father, Brooks pauses and his buoyant demeanor dims as he puts a finger to his eye as if it might begin to well up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
And as if to literalize this, the Light Phone III even has a small clickable wheel on one side that brightens or dims the screen, and engages a flashlight if depressed.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2025
You could almost feel the temperature of the room drop, like the way light dims whenever a cloud floats in front of the sun.
From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds
The April ceasefire put an end to the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks, mainly around the Strait of Hormuz, have dimmed the prospects of a final peace agreement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
With the overhead lights dimmed and soft light spilling from the dioramas, the displays looked like windows to other worlds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Even when Swift J1727 had dimmed to roughly one hundredth of its peak activity, astronomers still detected dense gas being blown away from the system.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
Hopes of diplomatic progress dimmed on Tuesday after Iran rejected a proposal from Oman to evenly divide control of the Strait between separate lanes for shipping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It was the light of hope that dimmed.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Market uptake for newly launched biosimilars—lower-cost copycat versions—has suffered a steep decline in recent years, dimming companies’ excitement about developing them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Because the evolved supergiant is expected to eventually end its life in a supernova explosion, the dramatic dimming prompted speculation that the star might be preparing to explode.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
This will result in a slight dimming of the Sun's light and a drop in temperature.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Crude prices rose one percent on Wednesday amid dimming prospects of a deal, having fallen as much as five percent at one point the previous day on optimism an agreement would be reached.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
I look up at Mr. Stanley’s face and the edges of my vision are dimming.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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.
