Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for "thickening"
Search instead for oil-thickening.
Synonyms

thickening

American  
[thik-uh-ning] / ˈθɪk ə nɪŋ /

noun

  1. a making or becoming thick.

  2. a thickened part or area; swelling.

  3. something used to thicken; thickener.


thickening British  
/ ˈθɪkənɪŋ /

noun

  1. something added to a liquid to thicken it

  2. a thickened part or piece

"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

Etymology

Origin of thickening

First recorded in 1570–80; thicken + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

For hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—the thickening of heart muscles—it was 56 steps.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 19, 2026

The team found that visceral fat was consistently associated with plaque buildup and artery wall thickening, while liver fat had a smaller but still important effect.

From Science Daily Oct. 23, 2025

They gather shortly after daybreak outside a minimarket, the tropical heat thickening, the dawn haze in lethargic retreat.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 21, 2025

I had been living my life for nearly four years with no cartilage in my hip, bone scraping bone, bone spurs forming and joint thickening.

From Salon Dec. 13, 2024

I run back to our tent, through the thickening dark.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training