dim
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.
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.
to make dim or dimmer.
to switch (the headlights of a vehicle) from the high to the low beam.
to become or grow dim or dimmer.
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 about dim
take a dim view of, to regard with disapproval, skepticism, or dismay: Her mother takes a dim view of her choice of friends.
Origin of dim
1synonym study For dim
Other words for dim
Other words from dim
- dimly, adverb
- dim·ma·ble, adjective
- dimness, noun
- un·dim, adjective
- un·dim·ly, adverb
- un·dimmed, adjective
Words Nearby dim
Other definitions for dim. (2 of 3)
(in prescriptions) one-half.
Origin of dim.
2Other definitions for dim. (3 of 3)
dimension.
diminish.
diminuendo.
diminutive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dim in a sentence
Soon we had the entire garden to ourselves — we encountered fewer than a dozen people the entire weekend — and as the light dimmed behind an overcast sky, the three of us perched on a ledge near the trail’s end.
A day’s drive from Chicago, exploring a very different Illinois | Carson Vaughan | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostIt’s during this dim period, when the stars still mingle with the moon in the sky but the sun announces that it’s on its way, that I’ve maintained a tenuous hold on the outside world through surfing.
This is Delaware, home of presidents and seekers of information about Cantonese dim sum to be served during the Super Bowl.
The 2021 Super Bowl food map is a deep dive into America’s weird culinary underbelly | Matt Bonesteel | February 2, 2021 | Washington PostOn a per-36-minutes and per-100-possessions basis, Randle is diming up his teammates more than he ever previously had.
The Only Thing Keeping The Knicks Offense Afloat Is Julius Randle’s Turn As A Point Guard | Jared Dubin | January 28, 2021 | FiveThirtyEightWhen researchers look for far-off planets, they do so by watching stars and noting when planets pass in front of them, measuring the resulting dim in brightness.
These 6 exoplanets somehow orbit their star in perfect rhythm | Charlie Wood | January 27, 2021 | Popular-Science
Justin gazed out from the dim interior as more than 300 police motorcycles from dozens of jurisdictions rumbled past.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos | Michael Daly | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe essential fault lies not with the stars around him, however dim, but with himself.
Before Ditching His Top Aides, Obama Should Look in the Mirror | Leslie H. Gelb | November 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBelow, the thick marshland and dim lights created a scene that Breman describes as “Joseph Conrad territory.”
In a dim backroom of a mud hut in Save, 82-year-old Teresa Nyirabutunda sits propped upright in bed by her daughter, Francine.
After the Genocide, Rwanda’s Widows Aging Alone | Nina Strochlic | August 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMy concerns about the study do not dim my admiration for the fund itself or the work that it does.
How to Tell When a Scientific Study Is Total B.S. | Russell Saunders | August 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe opened the letter by the flickering firelight, which was stronger on the hearthrug than the light of the dim November day.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettDr. Ashton walked out of the chapel, and Val stood for a few moments where he was, looking up and down in the dim light.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry WoodAny moment, if he looked up, he would meet eyes—eyes that gazed with dim yet definite recognition into his own across the night.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodThe contrast between the open street and the enclosed stuffiness of the dim and crowded interior was overwhelming.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettBy the dim light of the campfire they saw what they supposed were the sleeping forms of their enemies.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. Dunn
British Dictionary definitions for dim
/ (dɪm) /
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)
to become or cause to become dim
(tr) to cause to seem less bright, as by comparison
US and Canadian (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam: Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): dip
Origin of dim
1Derived forms of dim
- dimly, adverb
- dimness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with dim
see take a dim view.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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