dim

[ dim ]

/ dɪm /

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See synonyms for dim on Thesaurus.com

adjective, dim·mer, dim·mest.

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.

verb (used with object), dimmed, dim·ming.

to make dim or dimmer.

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

verb (used without object), dimmed, dim·ming.

to become or grow dim or dimmer.

Verb Phrases

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR dim

3 unclear, faint, indefinite, indistinct, fuzzy, hazy.

10 darken, cloud.

12 dull, fade.

See synonyms for dim on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

before 1000; Middle English, Old English dim(me), cognate with Old Frisian dim,Old Norse dimmr

synonym study for dim

1. See dark.

OTHER WORDS FROM dim

dimly, adverbdim·ma·ble, adjectivedimness, nounun·dim, adjective

un·dim·ly, adverbun·dimmed, adjective

Other definitions for dim (2 of 3)

dim.¹

abbreviation

(in prescriptions) one-half.

Origin of dim.

From the Latin word dīmidius

Other definitions for dim (3 of 3)

dim.²

abbreviation

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

Mars dims within days and won’t be this bright for the remainder of the year.
Skywatch: What’s happening in the heavens in January|Blaine P. Friedlander Jr.|December 26, 2020|Washington Post
The program was pitched in late 2016 as a way to save money on energy costs because the devices can be dimmed or brightened from afar.
San Diego Smart Streetlights Are Off, But They’re Still Helping Police|Jesse Marx|December 23, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Mróz and his team measured how long it took the star to brighten and dim.
Rogue planets wander the galaxy all alone|Christopher Crockett|December 23, 2020|Science News For Students
The pandemic increased women’s caregiving duties and dimmed their career prospects.
The Broadsheet’s 2020 Year in Review|Claire Zillman, reporter|December 18, 2020|Fortune

This nebula is 1,600 light-years away in the constellation Cetus, and you can catch a glimpse of it as a somewhat dim circle-shaped glow with a medium-sized telescope.
Celestial objects you can spot from your backyard|Jessica Boddy|December 16, 2020|Popular-Science
Besides changes in light bulbs, many consumers are showing increased interest in dimming and lighting controls.
The Light Bulb Is Dead. Long Live the Light Bulb!|Ethan Biery|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Their dimming performance will rarely match that of an incandescent, but it is getting better as the technology improves.
The Light Bulb Is Dead. Long Live the Light Bulb!|Ethan Biery|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
My colleague Lloyd Green wrote last week of “The Sprawling, Dimming Age of Obama.”
America Is Not Doomed|Daniel Gross|July 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Reporters declared it a bomb weeks before its release and blamed Cruise and his dimming appeal to moviegoers.
Tom Cruise's Failed Comeback|Gina Piccalo|June 28, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The occupants of the room had been too absorbed with their own affairs to notice the gradual dimming of the illumination.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
The sand hung in fog-like clouds shrouding the sun, dimming the usual brilliance.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
So they hastened, while above them the canopy of leaves grew denser, and more clouds piled across the dimming sun.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
On the western hill-crest, where the clouds gave way, the last bars of pale light still hung, but dimming each moment.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
Special dimming lamps of small amount of light were provided in the first-class rooms.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic'|British Government

British Dictionary definitions for dim

dim

/ (dɪm) /

adjective dimmer or dimmest

badly illuminateda dim room

not clearly seen; indistinct; fainta dim shape

having weak or indistinct visioneyes dim with tears

lacking in understanding; mentally dull

not clear in the mind; obscurea dim memory

lacking in brilliance, brightness, or lustrea dim colour

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

verb dims, dimming or dimmed

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 beamAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): dip

Derived forms of dim

dimly, adverbdimness, noun

Word Origin for dim

Old English dimm; related to Old Norse dimmr gloomy, dark

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

dim

see take a dim view.