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• dim
  dim

  adjective

  not bright; obscure from lack of light or emitted light.
• dim.
  dim.

  abbreviation

  (in prescriptions) one-half.

dim

¹ American  

[dim] / dɪm /

adjective

dimmer, dimmest

1. not bright; obscure from lack of light or emitted light.

   a dim room; a dim flashlight.

2. not seen clearly or in detail; indistinct.

   a dim object in the distance.

3. not clear to the mind; vague.

   a dim idea.

   Synonyms:

   hazy, fuzzy, indistinct, indefinite, faint, unclear

4. not brilliant; dull in luster.

   a dim color.

5. not clear or distinct to the senses; faint.

   a dim sound.

6. not seeing clearly.

   eyes dim with tears.

7. tending to be unfavorable; not likely to happen, succeed, be favorable, etc..

   a dim chance of winning.

8. not understanding clearly.

9. rather stupid; dim-witted.

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verb (used with object)

dimmed, dimming

1. to make dim or dimmer.

   Synonyms:

   cloud, darken

2. to switch (the headlights of a vehicle) from the high to the low beam.

verb (used without object)

dimmed, dimming

1. to become or grow dim or dimmer.

   Synonyms:

   fade, dull

verb phrase

1. dim out (in wartime) to reduce the night illumination of (a city, ship, etc.) to make it less visible from the air or sea, as a protection from enemy aircraft or ships.

idioms

1. take a dim view of, to regard with disapproval, skepticism, or dismay.

   Her mother takes a dim view of her choice of friends.

dim. ² American  

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) one-half.

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dim. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. dimension.

2. diminish.

3. diminuendo.

4. diminutive.

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dim British  

/ dɪm /

adjective

1. badly illuminated

   a dim room

2. not clearly seen; indistinct; faint

   a dim shape

3. having weak or indistinct vision

   eyes dim with tears

4. lacking in understanding; mentally dull

5. not clear in the mind; obscure

   a dim memory

6. lacking in brilliance, brightness, or lustre

   a dim colour

7. tending to be unfavourable; gloomy or disapproving (esp in the phrase take a dim view )

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verb

1. to become or cause to become dim

2. (tr) to cause to seem less bright, as by comparison

3. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): dip.  (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam

dim More Idioms  

1. see take a dim view.

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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.

Related Words

See dark.

Other Word Forms

• dimly
  adverb
• dimmable
  adjective
• dimness
  noun
• undim
  adjective
• undimly
  adverb
• undimmed
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Those worried about the possibility of bias, misuse and the loss of privacy caused by facial recognition may take a dim view of this capability of the cameras.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Right now, that means pointing NASA’s space-based James Webb Space Telescope at rocky exoplanets orbiting dim red stars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

In mid-December 2020, federal officials responsible for protecting American elections from fraud converged in a windowless, dim, fortified room at the Justice Department’s downtown Washington, D.C., headquarters.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

Cook had pulled up to 812 N. Broadway that day to meet a friend for dim sum.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

But nothing could dim the wonder of stepping into that wide corridor after so many weeks of close confinement.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• blurred
• cloudy
• dark
• dingy
• dull
• faint
• fuzzy
• gloomy
• lackluster
• murky
• shadowy
• vague