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
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. 2024
How to use dim in a sentence
Screen brightness is a big battery drain, and low power mode will dim your display accordingly.
In the dim light, Jack sees his sister standing on a bridge over a creek.
Simon Han’s ‘Nights When Nothing Happened’ is a poignant study of the immigrant experience | Ron Charles | November 30, 2020 | Washington PostAs Science News astronomy writer Lisa Grossman reports, shutdowns of major telescopes as a safety measure during the pandemic have stymied efforts to solve the mystery of the dimming star.
So in late 2019, when the bright star suddenly dimmed for no apparent reason, Montargès was a little alarmed.
Betelgeuse went dark, but didn’t go supernova. What happened? | Lisa Grossman | November 29, 2020 | Science NewsAlthough Democrats control the House, Republicans’ longtime skepticism about changing antitrust law could dim the chances that Cicilline’s proposals are adopted.
House panel proposes largest antitrust reforms in decades to rein in Big Tech | kdunn6 | October 7, 2020 | Fortune
They were identical save for the bronze nameplates that gleamed darkly in the hushed dimness.
A Mother’s Brave Eulogy For Her Three Girls Killed in Connecticut Fire | Michael Daly | January 6, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTHe saw her dear face peering through the dimness at him, the eyes burning like two dark precious stones.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodScrambling, sliding, worrying in the dimness, I finally reached the less precipitous slopes of the base of the cliff.
Valley of the Croen | Lee TarbellHe blew out the match and looked back at the stairs lost in the dimness of the hall light.
The Woman Gives | Owen JohnsonThe origin of such commercial unions is lost in the dimness of antiquity.
The Influence and Development of English Gilds | Francis Aiden HibbertAgain and again she wandered against thicket or trunk in the dimness of the trees, but the way led on, and she did not lose it.
God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
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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