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.
Revealing a boundary as fragile as this paper-thin clay layer required painstaking work.
From Science Daily
He has argued that Gascón’s analysis of the case was paper-thin, questioned the validity of their self-defense claims and repeatedly insisted the brothers had lied about the circumstances of the shooting.
From Los Angeles Times
Rudd and Ortega’s characters are so paper-thin that viewers can see right through them, getting a look at what will come next before Elliot and Ridley do.
From Salon
"The amount of detail is paper-thin," he said.
From BBC
But Hannah herself is relatively one-dimensional, and Lourd is unsuited to her paper-thin character.
From Salon
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.
