thick
Americanadjective
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having relatively great extent from one surface or side to the opposite; not thin.
a thick slice.
-
measured, as specified, between opposite surfaces, from top to bottom, or in a direction perpendicular to that of the length and breadth; (of a solid having three general dimensions) measured across its smallest dimension.
a board one inch thick.
-
composed of or containing objects, particles, etc., close together; dense: a thick forest.
a thick fog;
a thick forest.
-
filled, covered, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).
tables thick with dust.
-
husky or hoarse; not distinctly articulated.
The patient's speech is still quite thick.
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markedly so (as specified).
a thick German accent.
- Synonyms:
- decided, pronounced, strong
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deep or profound.
thick darkness.
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(of a liquid) heavy or viscous.
a thick syrup.
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Informal. close in friendship; intimate.
-
disagreeably excessive or exaggerated.
They thought it a bit thick when he called himself a genius.
adverb
-
in a thick manner.
-
close together; closely packed.
The roses grew thick along the path.
-
in a manner to produce something thick.
Slice the cheese thick.
noun
idioms
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lay it on thick, to praise excessively; flatter.
He's laying it on thick because he wants you to do him a favor.
-
through thick and thin, under favorable and unfavorable conditions; steadfastly.
We have been friends for 20 years, through thick and thin.
adjective
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of relatively great extent from one surface to the other; fat, broad, or deep
a thick slice of bread
-
-
(postpositive) of specific fatness
ten centimetres thick
-
( in combination )
a six-inch-thick wall
-
-
having a relatively dense consistency; not transparent
thick soup
-
abundantly covered or filled
a piano thick with dust
-
impenetrable; dense
a thick fog
-
stupid, slow, or insensitive
a thick person
-
throaty or badly articulated
a voice thick with emotion
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(of accents, etc) pronounced
-
informal very friendly (esp in the phrase thick as thieves )
-
unfair or excessive
-
informal a blow on the ear delivered as punishment, in anger, etc
adverb
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in order to produce something thick
to slice bread thick
-
profusely; in quick succession (esp in the phrase thick and fast )
-
informal
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to exaggerate a story, statement, etc
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to flatter excessively
-
noun
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a thick piece or part
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the busiest or most intense part
-
in good times and bad
Other Word Forms
- overthick adjective
- overthickly adverb
- overthickness noun
- superthick adjective
- thickish adjective
- thickly adverb
- unthick adjective
- unthickly adverb
- unthickness noun
Etymology
Origin of thick
First recorded before 900; (adjective and adverb) Middle English thikke, Old English thicce; cognate with Dutch dik, German dick; akin to Old Norse thykkr (noun) Middle English, derivative of the adj.
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.
In regions such as the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin, and the wetlands of Southeast Asia, thick layers of partially decomposed plant material build up over time.
From Science Daily
It needed supporters who cheered for their team through thick and thin, not curious, casual fans who came out to see whatever big-name player was passing through town but never came back.
From Los Angeles Times
The smoke got bigger and darker, until it swelled into a thick pillar of black that seemed to swallow the blue sky.
From Los Angeles Times
Before the plate boundary moved into the area, the oceanic crust there had already become unusually thick and heated.
From Science Daily
In a matter of minutes, the 24-year-olds found themselves in the thick of its “Star Wars” DVD and Blu-ray collection, reminiscing about the special features they enjoyed as kids.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
