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
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.
He told the Wall Street Journal he takes 325mg of aspirin per day, rather than the 81mg dose sometimes recommended by doctors, because he does not "want thick blood pouring through my heart".
From BBC • May 30, 2026
She tried to lay it on thick, telling the aide about the connections Waldorf and Sanders shared.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
I had scoliosis, braces, thick glasses, stood 5-foot-9 and wanted to be cool.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Their findings suggest that thick lithosphere plays a major role in forming the kinds of rocks capable of concentrating valuable metals over time.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
They formed a thick cloud around the canoe so that at times it was impossible to even see the bank.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
