paper-thin
Americanadjective
-
extremely thin.
a paper-thin razor blade.
-
inadequate or unconvincing; flimsy.
a paper-thin excuse.
Etymology
Origin of paper-thin
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
Fanatics, just as it did with the Red Sox jersey, also flagged the paper-thin look of uniforms during the design and manufacturing process.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
Germany’s lead in chemicals and road vehicles is now paper-thin and it is trailing far behind China in the electrical-equipment market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025
Revealing a boundary as fragile as this paper-thin clay layer required painstaking work.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2025
"Businesses on paper-thin margins are already grappling with big increases in employment costs - we are seeing jobs and hours cut, investment slashed and business viability undermined as well as prices going up," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2024
My fingertips leave fog teardrops on the paper-thin glass walls.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
