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:
To borrow the dim sum moniker, it touches the heart.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
“I knew we were gonna have dim sum,” Wang said, “or amazing, huge platters of fried rice.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The camera also was not originally built to observe such a dim object.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Despite the dim lighting and gentle music, I was nowhere near a state of Zen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
But it was no use, as one of the dim boys pressed in a little closer and crushed my gown under his knee.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
“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
The UK Health Security Agency says the event can make the Sun appear dimmer than usual, making it easier to look at directly.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 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
For that to happen, earnings won’t need to necessarily disappoint; rather, investors can choose to take a dimmer view on the immense corporate investment in AI-related data centers.
From MarketWatch ● May 3, 2026
"It's not a binary on/off effect; it can be a scaled response, like a dimmer, depending on the light you shine on it," she said.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 31, 2026
“This baby’s a powerhouse!” he roared, stomping the accelerator and flying up Interstate 95 as I watched Daddy’s headlights through the back windshield grow dimmer and dimmer, then disappear altogether.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
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
Still, the cast makes even the dimmest jokes shine; you admire the polish.
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2023
Yet she had only the dimmest idea of who Goldstein was and what doctrines he was supposed to represent.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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
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
But Strong is the one who finds an unlikely frequency — tragedy? — for what might have been an “SNL” skit, as Cohn’s roar dims with AIDS-related illness.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2024
Gomez’s smile dims, the lines around her mouth aren’t as deep, but she says, “The night of the incident, yes. Start where you feel comfortable.”
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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
The Iran war has dimmed prospects for a strong rebound in Germany's economy this year, with the government now expecting growth of just 0.5 percent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Gold prices fell as fresh strikes between Israel and Iran dimmed hopes for a near-term deal in the Middle East, reinforcing expectations of higher interest rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
The new contract includes LED lighting and controls that have heat-mapping technology, meaning they can be dimmed to save energy, and replacing external lights.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
The star-lanterns dimmed, and the room went silent.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
This will result in a slight dimming of the Sun's light and a drop in temperature.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The decision marks the latest sign of LIV’s dimming future ever since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund pulled out of the league it started and lavishly backed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Crude jumped one percent Wednesday amid dimming prospects of a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil passes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto let a day’s stroll linger into profundity, the twilight dimming and human connection brewing in all its possibilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
He felled it with three true arrows—the first making the thing crackle and flame; the second dimming it; and the third putting out its lights, sputter.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
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.
