dim

[dim]

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SEE MORE 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.

Idioms

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

Related formsdim·ly, adverbdim·ma·ble, adjectivedim·ness, nounun·dim, adjectiveun·dim·ly, adverbun·dimmed, adjective

Synonyms for dim

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dim ON THESAURUS.COM

3. unclear, faint, indefinite, indistinct, fuzzy, hazy. 10. darken, cloud. 12. dull, fade.

Synonym study

1. See dark.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for dimming

tarnish, eclipse, fade, blur, dull, cloud, lower, blear, muddy, bedim, haze, fog, becloud, obfuscate, pale, befog

Examples from the Web for dimming

Contemporary Examples of dimming

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
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
My colleague Lloyd Green wrote last week of “The Sprawling, Dimming Age of Obama.”
America Is Not Doomed
Daniel Gross
July 7, 2013
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

Historical Examples of dimming

Dawn was breaking through the windows and dimming the electric lights.
White Fang
Jack London
His eyes were dimming with tears, and his voice quavered uncertainly.
The Market-Place
Harold Frederic
Then the light vanished, leaving a dimming glow where it had been.
Space Prison
Tom Godwin
Now, from his dimming intelligence the sense of time had slipped away.
The Watchers of the Trails
Charles G. D. Roberts
Her arms were outstretched to the dimming form of Harry and the incandescence.
The Blind Spot
Austin Hall

British Dictionary definitions for dimming

dim

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 Formsdimly, 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

Word Origin and History for dimming

dim

c.1200, perhaps in Old English, from dim (adj.). Related: Dimmed; dimming.

dim

adj.

Old English dimm "dark, gloomy, obscure," from Proto-Germanic *dimbaz (cf. Old Norse dimmr, Old Frisian dim, Old High German timber "dark, black, somber"). Not known outside Germanic. Slang sense of "stupid" is from 1892. Related: Dimly; dimness.

Idioms and Phrases with dimming

dim

see take a dim view.