thick
Americanadjective
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thicker,
comparative
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thickest
superlative
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having relatively great extent from one surface or side to the opposite; not thin.
a thick slice.
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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.
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composed of or containing objects, particles, etc., close together; dense: a thick forest.
a thick fog;
a thick forest.
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filled, covered, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).
tables thick with dust.
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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.
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disagreeably excessive or exaggerated.
They thought it a bit thick when he called himself a genius.
adverb
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in a thick manner.
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close together; closely packed.
The roses grew thick along the path.
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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.
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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
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(postpositive) of specific fatness
ten centimetres thick
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( in combination )
a six-inch-thick wall
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having a relatively dense consistency; not transparent
thick soup
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abundantly covered or filled
a piano thick with dust
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impenetrable; dense
a thick fog
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stupid, slow, or insensitive
a thick person
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throaty or badly articulated
a voice thick with emotion
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(of accents, etc) pronounced
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informal very friendly (esp in the phrase thick as thieves )
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unfair or excessive
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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
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profusely; in quick succession (esp in the phrase thick and fast )
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informal
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to exaggerate a story, statement, etc
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to flatter excessively
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noun
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a thick piece or part
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the busiest or most intense part
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in good times and bad
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overthicknessnoun
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unthicknessnoun
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overthickadjective
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superthickadjective
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thickishadjective
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unthickadjective
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overthicklyadverb
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thicklyadverb
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unthicklyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
Explanation
When something's thick, it's wide from one side to the other, like a thick piece of French toast or a thick layer of snow on your car. Thick things are broad or bulky or decidedly not thin — think of the thick slab of ice you need in order to skate safely on a lake. Thick can also mean "dense," like a thick chocolate milkshake, or your sister's thick, curly hair. If the kid who sits beside you in math class sees your test grade and calls you thick, it's not a compliment: she means you're not very smart.
Vocabulary lists containing thick
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:
We are in the thick of a trade war that began in February 2025 and shows no signs of abating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Birch tar is a thick, sticky substance obtained by heating birch bark.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Unverified images published on social media showed columns of thick, black smoke pouring from the roof of the building, which the company said was in the central Ryazan region, located southeast of Moscow.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Heavy Metal” mostly leaned minimal, with spare electronics and occasional percussion, and here Mr. Winter’s piano is thick with chords and repeating pulses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
She comes back with another woman, about Mom’s age, dressed in a cream-colored cheetah print blouse and a black blazer, holding a thick folder.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Their skin became thicker, bone mass increased, and performance improved on tests measuring learning, memory, and balance.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
But it’s actually thicker and heavier than most of its Android competitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
In PV, your body makes too many red blood cells, which makes the blood thicker than normal.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Videos captured by the crew confirm it is a mesmerizing creature with long pale “legs” trailing from thicker appendages connected to a pale body composed of two fins that undulate languidly in tandem.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
The milk here tastes different and feels thicker somehow.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
In his 30 years at Nike, Bignell has helped lead the development of some of the sneaker giant’s most cutting-edge running shoes, including the Vomero Premium, which features one of the market’s thickest, most-cushioned soles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Next, add thickest pieces of seafood, saving shrimp for last as they need the least amount of cook time.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2025
In addition to myriad dining and shopping options that are thickest where Washington, Culver and Venice boulevards intersect, there are also a few pieces of walk-by Hollywood history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2024
Today, the crusts are 5 feet at their thickest point and cover an area of 5 by 12 miles at the foot of the Silver Island Mountains.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2024
The blades swept through the thickest stalks and met with no resistance.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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.
