thick
Americanadjective
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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:
And in place of the sliced Swiss cheese he used to use, there’s a more labor-intensive Mornay sauce thick with Gruyère and premium dairy from California’s Straus Family Creamery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
STK’s thick, well-marbled filet mignon is perfect for kebabs with little more than salt and freshly cracked pepper.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
The 52-year-old Moroccan resident, who has lived in Bedar for 16 years, never saw the flames but watched as thick black smoke began to cover the area before police officers pounded on his door.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
The plans for that building called for exterior walls above a certain height to be 8 inches thick, but Domani approved walls that were 6 inches thick, according to a violation notice from the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Let’s say we hang back here for a minute,” Max said as we neared a thick patch of overgrowth.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
If you lightly touch the fine vellus hairs instead of the thicker terminal hairs, you may suddenly feel an itch.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Long cables must be thicker to compensate for the current over a longer distance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
That means thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain will be pushing across from the west on Monday night.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
The thicker, chewier cousin of Spain’s more famous snack is the real draw at San Ginés.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
Two thicker logs are left near the wagon for breakfast at first light.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Researchers have created a new global map showing where unusual volcanic rocks linked to rare earth elements are found, uncovering a striking connection to the oldest and thickest parts of Earth's continents.
From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026
There had been concerns over the spacecraft's heatshield, which protects the capsule from the extreme heating as it slams into the thickest part of the atmosphere.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
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
It’s almost as if the Reds were intimidated even before the game began, as the Dodgers buried them in their thickest pregame brine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
The cheek and jaw muscles are so powerful, they easily bite through the thickest bamboo stalks.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
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.
