fine
1of superior or best quality; of high or highest grade: fine wine.
choice, excellent, or admirable: a fine painting.
satisfactory or acceptable; okay: It's fine with me if you don't want to go.The story is fine for a class assignment but not good enough to publish in the school paper.
consisting of minute particles: fine sand;a fine purée.
very thin or slender: fine thread.
keen or sharp, as a tool: Is the knife fine enough to carve well?
delicate in texture; filmy: fine cotton fabric.
delicately fashioned: fine tracery.
highly skilled or accomplished: a fine musician.
trained to the maximum degree, as an athlete.
characterized by or affecting refinement or elegance: a fine lady.
polished or refined: fine manners.
affectedly ornate or elegant: A style so fine repels the average reader.
delicate or subtle: a fine distinction.
bright and clear: a fine day;fine skin.
showy or smart; elegant in appearance: a bird of fine plumage.
good-looking or handsome: a fine young man.
(of a precious metal or its alloy) free from impurities or containing a large amount of pure metal: fine gold; Sterling silver is 92.5 percent fine.
(used ironically or as an intensifier) terrible or unacceptable: It’s a fine mess you’ve got us into!Not inviting me—that’s a fine way to treat a friend!
Informal. in an excellent manner; very well: She's now free of pain and can walk just fine.
Informal. satisfactorily; acceptably: I did fine but not great on my final exams.
very small: She writes so fine I can hardly read it.
Billiards, Pool. in such a way that the driven ball barely touches the object ball in passing.
Nautical. as efficiently close as possible into the wind, just short of pinching: sailing fine.
to become fine or finer, as by refining.
to become less, as in size or proportions; reduce; diminish (often followed by down): The plumpness fines down with exercise.
to make fine or finer, especially by refining or pulverizing.
to reduce the size or proportions of (often used with down or away): to fine down the heavy features; to fine away superfluous matter in a design.
to clarify (wines or spirits) by filtration.
fines,
Mining. crushed ore sufficiently fine to pass through a given screen.: Compare short (def. 29e).
Agriculture. the fine bits of corn kernel knocked off during handling of the grain.
Idioms about fine
cut fine, to calculate precisely, especially without allowing for possible error or accident: To finish in ten minutes is to cut it too fine.
Origin of fine
1synonym study For fine
Other words for fine
1 | finished, consummate, perfect; select |
4 | powdered, pulverized |
6 | acute |
Opposites for fine
Words Nearby fine
Other definitions for fine (2 of 4)
a sum of money imposed as a penalty for an offense or dereliction: a parking fine.
Law. a fee paid by a feudal tenant to the landlord, as on the renewal of tenure.
English Law. (formerly) a conveyance of land through decree of a court, based upon a simulated lawsuit.
Archaic. a penalty of any kind.
to subject to a fine or pecuniary penalty; punish by a fine: The judge fined him and released him on parole.
Origin of fine
2Other definitions for fine (3 of 4)
the end of a repeated section, whether da capo or dal segno.
the end of a composition that consists of several movements.
Origin of fine
3Other definitions for fine (4 of 4)
ordinary French brandy, usually with no indication of the maker's name or location.
Origin of fine
4Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fine in a sentence
Target was fined for not enforcing the county’s mask law and citations were mailed to the protesters, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider does not approve of anti-maskers using ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ | radmarya | September 17, 2020 | FortuneNow, for most general purposes, stock tires will work fine, especially if you have a winch.
Six ways to make your ATV even more rugged | By Tyler Freel/Outdoor Life | September 17, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThe state’s environmental regulators are seen as friendly to coal companies, so the reduced fines are in keeping with prior actions.
This Billionaire Governor’s Coal Company Might Get a Big Break From His Own Regulators | by Ken Ward Jr. | September 17, 2020 | ProPublicaRepeating the process, he smoothed the lattice’s fine details, zooming out to grok the system’s overall behavior.
How Mathematical ‘Hocus-Pocus’ Saved Particle Physics | Charlie Wood | September 17, 2020 | Quanta MagazineSo let’s see what happens, but I think it’s going to work out fine.
Timeline: The 124 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat | Aaron Blake, JM Rieger | September 17, 2020 | Washington Post
As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
Hey, whatever keeps those lecherous freaks from sexually assaulting humans is fine by us.
Zebra Finches, Dolphins, Elephants, and More Animals Under the Influence | Bill Schulz | December 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere are instances in which private rehoming works out fine and is the best solution for the struggling family and the children.
That's fine—excellent TV shows are snubbed all the time by these awards organizations.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards | Kevin Fallon | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe exhibit also includes examples of designers borrowing from fine art, as Yves Saint Laurent did with his Mondrian dress.
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettA flash of surprise and pleasure lit the fine eyes of the haughty beauty perched up there on the palace wall.
The Red Year | Louis TracyGive a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousHis strong legs and his broad, spade-like feet helped to make him a fine swimmer.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyWhen the days were fine, Jean in his basket assisted at the dramatic performance in the market-place.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. Locke
British Dictionary definitions for fine (1 of 4)
/ (faɪn) /
excellent or choice in quality; very good of its kind: a fine speech
superior in skill, ability, or accomplishment: a fine violinist
(of weather) clear and dry
enjoyable or satisfying: a fine time
(postpositive) informal quite well; in satisfactory health: I feel fine
satisfactory; acceptable: that's fine by me
of delicate composition or careful workmanship: fine crystal
(of precious metals) pure or having a high or specified degree of purity: fine silver; gold 98 per cent fine
subtle in perception; discriminating: a fine eye for antique brasses
abstruse or subtle: a fine point in argument
very thin or slender: fine hair
very small: fine dust; fine print
(of edges, blades, etc) sharp; keen
ornate, showy, or smart
good-looking; handsome: a fine young woman
polished, elegant, or refined: a fine gentleman
morally upright and commendable: a fine man
cricket (of a fielding position) oblique to and behind the wicket: fine leg
(prenominal) informal disappointing or terrible: a fine mess
informal quite well; all right: that suits me fine
a nonstandard word for finely
billiards snooker (of a stroke on the cue ball) so as to merely brush the object ball
cut it fine to allow little margin of time, space, etc
to make or become finer; refine
(often foll by down or away) to make or become smaller
(tr) to clarify (wine, etc) by adding finings
(tr) billiards snooker to hit (a cue ball) fine
(intr foll by up) Australian and NZ informal (of the weather) to become fine
Origin of fine
1British Dictionary definitions for fine (2 of 4)
/ (faɪn) /
a certain amount of money exacted as a penalty: a parking fine
a payment made by a tenant at the start of his tenancy to reduce his subsequent rent; premium
feudal law a sum of money paid by a man to his lord, esp for the privilege of transferring his land to another
a method of transferring land in England by bringing a fictitious law suit: abolished 1833
in fine
in short; briefly
in conclusion; finally
(tr) to impose a fine on
Origin of fine
2British Dictionary definitions for fine (3 of 4)
/ (ˈfiːneɪ) /
the point at which a piece is to end, usually after a da capo or dal segno
an ending or finale
Origin of fine
3British Dictionary definitions for fine (4 of 4)
/ French (fin) /
brandy of ordinary quality
Origin of fine
4Collins 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 fine
In addition to the idioms beginning with fine
- fine and dandy
- fine art
also see:
- come on in (the water's fine)
- cut it fine
- in fine feather
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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