fine

1
[ fahyn ]
See synonyms for: finefinerfinestfines on Thesaurus.com
adjective,fin·er, fin·est.

  1. of superior or best quality; of high or highest grade: fine wine.

  2. choice, excellent, or admirable: a fine painting.

  1. 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.

  2. consisting of minute particles: fine sand;a fine purée.

  3. very thin or slender: fine thread.

  4. keen or sharp, as a tool: Is the knife fine enough to carve well?

  5. delicate in texture; filmy: fine cotton fabric.

  6. delicately fashioned: fine tracery.

  7. highly skilled or accomplished: a fine musician.

  8. trained to the maximum degree, as an athlete.

  9. characterized by or affecting refinement or elegance: a fine lady.

  10. polished or refined: fine manners.

  11. affectedly ornate or elegant: A style so fine repels the average reader.

  12. delicate or subtle: a fine distinction.

  13. bright and clear: a fine day;fine skin.

  14. healthy; well: In spite of his recent illness, he looks fine.

  15. showy or smart; elegant in appearance: a bird of fine plumage.

  16. good-looking or handsome: a fine young man.

  17. (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.

  18. (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!

adverb

  1. Informal. in an excellent manner; very well: She's now free of pain and can walk just fine.

  2. Informal. satisfactorily; acceptably: I did fine but not great on my final exams.

  1. very small: She writes so fine I can hardly read it.

  2. Billiards, Pool. in such a way that the driven ball barely touches the object ball in passing.

  3. Nautical. as efficiently close as possible into the wind, just short of pinching: sailing fine.

verb (used without object),fined, fin·ing.

  1. to become fine or finer, as by refining.

  2. to become less, as in size or proportions; reduce; diminish (often followed by down): The plumpness fines down with exercise.

verb (used with object),fined, fin·ing.

  1. to make fine or finer, especially by refining or pulverizing.

  2. 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.

  1. to clarify (wines or spirits) by filtration.

noun

  1. 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

  1. 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

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ffyn, fin, fyin, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Medieval Latin finus “pure, fine,” from Latin fīnis “end, utmost limit, highest point” (as in fīnis bonōrum et malōrum “the highest good and evil”)

synonym study For fine

1. Fine, choice, elegant, exquisite are terms of praise with reference to quality. Fine is a general term: a fine horse, person, book. Choice implies a discriminating selection of the object in question: a choice piece of steak. Elegant suggests a refined and graceful superiority that is generally associated with luxury and a cultivated taste: elegant furnishings. Exquisite suggests an admirable delicacy, finish, or perfection: an exquisite piece of lace.

Other words for fine

Opposites for fine

Other definitions for fine (2 of 4)

fine2
[ fahyn ]
noun

  1. a sum of money imposed as a penalty for an offense or dereliction: a parking fine.

  2. Law. a fee paid by a feudal tenant to the landlord, as on the renewal of tenure.

  1. English Law. (formerly) a conveyance of land through decree of a court, based upon a simulated lawsuit.

  2. Archaic. a penalty of any kind.

verb (used with object),fined, fin·ing.

  1. to subject to a fine or pecuniary penalty; punish by a fine: The judge fined him and released him on parole.

Origin of fine

2
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English fin, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin fīnis “end,” Medieval Latin: “settlement, payment”

Other definitions for fine (3 of 4)

fine3
[ fee-ney ]
nounMusic.

  1. the end of a repeated section, whether da capo or dal segno.

  2. the end of a composition that consists of several movements.

Origin of fine

3
First recorded in 1790–1800; from Italian, from Latin fīnis “end”

Other definitions for fine (4 of 4)

fine4
[ feen ]
noun

  1. ordinary French brandy, usually with no indication of the maker's name or location.

Origin of fine

4
First recorded in 1920–25; short for French fine (champagne) de la maison “bar brandy”; cf. Fine Champagne

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fine (1 of 4)

fine1

/ (faɪn) /

adjective

  1. excellent or choice in quality; very good of its kind: a fine speech

  2. superior in skill, ability, or accomplishment: a fine violinist

  1. (of weather) clear and dry

  2. enjoyable or satisfying: a fine time

  3. (postpositive) informal quite well; in satisfactory health: I feel fine

  4. satisfactory; acceptable: that's fine by me

  5. of delicate composition or careful workmanship: fine crystal

  6. (of precious metals) pure or having a high or specified degree of purity: fine silver; gold 98 per cent fine

  7. subtle in perception; discriminating: a fine eye for antique brasses

  8. abstruse or subtle: a fine point in argument

  9. very thin or slender: fine hair

  10. very small: fine dust; fine print

  11. (of edges, blades, etc) sharp; keen

  12. ornate, showy, or smart

  13. good-looking; handsome: a fine young woman

  14. polished, elegant, or refined: a fine gentleman

  15. morally upright and commendable: a fine man

  16. cricket (of a fielding position) oblique to and behind the wicket: fine leg

  17. (prenominal) informal disappointing or terrible: a fine mess

adverb

  1. informal quite well; all right: that suits me fine

  2. a nonstandard word for finely

  1. billiards snooker (of a stroke on the cue ball) so as to merely brush the object ball

  2. cut it fine to allow little margin of time, space, etc

verb

  1. to make or become finer; refine

  2. (often foll by down or away) to make or become smaller

  1. (tr) to clarify (wine, etc) by adding finings

  2. (tr) billiards snooker to hit (a cue ball) fine

  3. (intr foll by up) Australian and NZ informal (of the weather) to become fine

Origin of fine

1
C13: from Old French fin, from Latin fīnis end, boundary, as in fīnis honōrum the highest degree of honour

British Dictionary definitions for fine (2 of 4)

fine2

/ (faɪn) /

noun

  1. a certain amount of money exacted as a penalty: a parking fine

  2. a payment made by a tenant at the start of his tenancy to reduce his subsequent rent; premium

  1. feudal law a sum of money paid by a man to his lord, esp for the privilege of transferring his land to another

  2. a method of transferring land in England by bringing a fictitious law suit: abolished 1833

  3. in fine

    • in short; briefly

    • in conclusion; finally

verb

  1. (tr) to impose a fine on

Origin of fine

2
C12 (in the sense: conclusion, settlement): from Old French fin; see fine 1

British Dictionary definitions for fine (3 of 4)

fine3

/ (ˈfiːneɪ) /

nounmusic

  1. the point at which a piece is to end, usually after a da capo or dal segno

  2. an ending or finale

Origin of fine

3
Italian, from Latin fīnis end

British Dictionary definitions for fine (4 of 4)

fine4

/ French (fin) /

noun

  1. brandy of ordinary quality

Origin of fine

4
literally: fine

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 fine

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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