thick

American  

[thik] / θɪk /

adjective

• thicker,
  comparative
• thickest
  superlative

1. having relatively great extent from one surface or side to the opposite; not thin.

   a thick slice.

2. 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.

3. composed of or containing objects, particles, etc., close together; dense: a thick forest.

   a thick fog;

   a thick forest.

4. filled, covered, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).

   tables thick with dust.

5. husky or hoarse; not distinctly articulated.

   The patient's speech is still quite thick.

6. markedly so (as specified).

   a thick German accent.

   Synonyms:

   decided, pronounced, strong

7. deep or profound.

   thick darkness.

8. (of a liquid) heavy or viscous.

   a thick syrup.

9. Informal. close in friendship; intimate.

10. mentally slow; stupid; dull.

11. disagreeably excessive or exaggerated.

    They thought it a bit thick when he called himself a genius.

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adverb

thicker, thickest

1. in a thick manner.

2. close together; closely packed.

   The roses grew thick along the path.

3. in a manner to produce something thick.

   Slice the cheese thick.

noun

1. the thickest, densest, or most crowded part.

   in the thick of the fight.

idioms

1. lay it on thick, to praise excessively; flatter.

   He's laying it on thick because he wants you to do him a favor.

2. through thick and thin, under favorable and unfavorable conditions; steadfastly.

   We have been friends for 20 years, through thick and thin.

thick British  

/ θɪk /

adjective

1. of relatively great extent from one surface to the other; fat, broad, or deep

   a thick slice of bread

2. 1. (postpositive) of specific fatness

      ten centimetres thick

   2. ( in combination )

      a six-inch-thick wall

3. having a relatively dense consistency; not transparent

   thick soup

4. abundantly covered or filled

   a piano thick with dust

5. impenetrable; dense

   a thick fog

6. stupid, slow, or insensitive

   a thick person

7. throaty or badly articulated

   a voice thick with emotion

8. (of accents, etc) pronounced

9. informal very friendly (esp in the phrase thick as thieves )

10. unfair or excessive

11. informal a blow on the ear delivered as punishment, in anger, etc

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adverb

1. in order to produce something thick

   to slice bread thick

2. profusely; in quick succession (esp in the phrase thick and fast )

3. informal

   1. to exaggerate a story, statement, etc

   2. to flatter excessively

noun

1. a thick piece or part

2. the busiest or most intense part

3. in good times and bad

thick More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing thick

• blood is thicker than water
• lay it on thick
• plot thickens
• through thick and thin

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overthickness
  noun
• unthickness
  noun
• overthick
  adjective
• superthick
  adjective
• thickish
  adjective
• unthick
  adjective
• overthickly
  adverb
• thickly
  adverb
• unthickly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• thicker
  comparative
• thickest
  superlative

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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.

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thick thicker thickest

Still, she said she has thick skin and that the jobsite culture has slowly improved.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

As night crept in and darkness blanketed the four-hectare burial ground, the hum of activity and thick smoke gave way to a sepulchral glow as fires burned for its more than 2,000 dead.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Arteriosclerosis occurs when blood vessels carrying oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the body become thick and stiff, according to the Mayo Clinic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

One possibility is a thick layer of carbon dioxide, resembling the atmosphere of Venus but under much hotter conditions.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026

And in the end table’s drawer, a fabric-bound book, inches thick.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

The exception to this theme will be north-west Scotland, where a weak weather front will bring thicker cloud and rain for a time.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

This result was especially surprising because thicker fluid would ordinarily be expected to impede movement.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

So if you have a thicker duvet, now is the time to bring it out.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

It’s wider and thicker than a Pro iPhone—and heavier, even compared with competing foldables.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

“They didn’t let me see him,” she said, her accent even thicker now.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

The scientists discovered that rocks with the right chemistry for rare earth enrichment are mainly found along the steep edges of Earth's thickest and oldest lithosphere.

From Science Daily ● May 26, 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

Next, add thickest pieces of seafood, saving shrimp for last as they need the least amount of cook time.

From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2025

Many of us will be opting for our thickest coats and gloves when we venture outside.

From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2025

The center beam is thickest and will be quieter.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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Related Words

• broad
• chunky
• fat
• hard
• heavy
• massive
• wide

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