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• trim
  trim

  verb (used with object)

  to put into a neat or orderly condition by clipping, paring, pruning, etc..
• Trim
  Trim

  noun

  the county town of Meath, Republic of Ireland; 12th-century castle, medieval cathedral; textiles and machinery. Pop: 5894 (2002)

trim

American  

[trim] / trɪm /

verb (used with object)

• trims,
  present (3rd person singular)
• trimmed,
  past participle,  past
• trimming
  present participle

1. to put into a neat or orderly condition by clipping, paring, pruning, etc..

   to trim a hedge.

   Synonyms:

   lop, cut, shave, shear

2. to remove (something superfluous or dispensable) by or as if by cutting (often followed byoff ).

   to trim off loose threads from a ragged edge.

3. to cut down, as to required size or shape.

   trim a budget; trim a piece of wood.

4. Aeronautics. to level off (an airship or airplane) in flight.

5. Nautical.

   1. to distribute the load of (a ship) so that it sits well in the water.

   2. to stow or arrange, as cargo.

   3. to adjust (the sails or yards) with reference to the direction of the wind and the course of the ship.

6. to decorate or adorn with ornaments or embellishments.

   to trim a dress with fur.

   Synonyms:

   garnish, embellish, ornament, bedeck, deck

7. to arrange goods in (a store window, showcase, etc.) as a display.

8. to prepare or adjust (a lamp, fire, etc.) for proper burning.

9. Informal.

   1. to rebuke or reprove.

   2. to beat or thrash.

   3. to defeat.

10. to dress or array (often followed byup ).

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verb (used without object)

• trims,
  present (3rd person singular)
• trimmed,
  past participle,  past
• trimming
  present participle

1. Nautical.

   1. to assume a particular position or trim in the water, as a vessel.

   2. to adjust the sails or yards with reference to the direction of the wind and the course of the ship.

2. to pursue a neutral or cautious policy between parties.

3. to accommodate one's views to the prevailing opinion for reasons of expediency.

noun

• trims
  plural

1. the condition, order, or fitness of a person or thing for action, work, use, etc.

2. Nautical.

   1. the set of a ship in the water, especially the most advantageous one.

   2. the condition of a ship with reference to its fitness for sailing.

   3. the adjustment of sails, rigging, etc., with reference to wind direction and the course of the ship.

   4. the condition of a submarine as regards buoyancy.

3. a person's dress, adornment, or appearance.

4. material used for decoration or embellishment; decorative trimming.

   Synonyms:

   garnish, adornment

5. decoration of a store window for the display of merchandise; window dressing.

6. a trimming by cutting, clipping, or the like.

7. a haircut that restores the previous cut to neatness without changing the hairstyle.

8. something that is cut off or eliminated.

9. Aeronautics. the attitude of an airplane with respect to all three axes, at which balance occurs in forward flight under no controls.

10. Building Trades. finished woodwork or the like used to decorate or border openings or wall surfaces, as cornices, baseboards, or moldings.

11. Automotive.

    1. the upholstery, knobs, handles, and other equipment inside a motor car.

    2. ornamentation on the exterior of an automobile, especially in metal or a contrasting color.

adjective

• trimmer,
  comparative
• trimmest
  superlative

1. pleasingly neat or smart in appearance.

   trim lawns.

   Synonyms:

   spruce, trig, compact

2. in good condition or order.

3. (of a person) in excellent physical condition.

   Swimming is a good way to keep trim.

4. slim; lean.

5. Obsolete. good, excellent, or fine.

adverb

1. trimly.

idioms

1. trim one's sails. sail.

trim ¹ British  

/ trɪm /

adjective

1. neat and spruce in appearance

2. slim; slender

3. in good condition

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verb

1. to put in good order, esp by cutting or pruning

2. to shape and finish (timber)

3. to adorn or decorate

4. to cut so as to remove

   to trim off a branch

5. to cut down to the desired size or shape

   to trim material to a pattern

6. dialect to decorate

   to trim a Christmas tree

7. nautical

   1. (also intr) to adjust the balance of (a vessel) or (of a vessel) to maintain an even balance, by distribution of ballast, cargo, etc

   2. (also intr) to adjust (a vessel's sails) to take advantage of the wind

   3. to stow (cargo)

8. to balance (an aircraft) before flight by adjusting the position of the load or in flight by the use of trim tabs, fuel transfer, etc

9. (also intr) to modify (one's opinions, etc) to suit opposing factions or for expediency

10. informal to thrash or beat

11. informal to rebuke

12. obsolete to furnish or equip

noun

1. a decoration or adornment

2. the upholstery and decorative facings, as on the door panels, of a car's interior

3. proper order or fitness; good shape

   in trim

4. a haircut that neatens but does not alter the existing hairstyle

5. nautical

   1. the general set and appearance of a vessel

   2. the difference between the draught of a vessel at the bow and at the stern

   3. the fitness of a vessel

   4. the position of a vessel's sails relative to the wind

   5. the relative buoyancy of a submarine

6. dress or equipment

7. window-dressing

8. the attitude of an aircraft in flight when the pilot allows the main control surfaces to take up their own positions

9. films a section of shot cut out during editing

10. material that is trimmed off

11. decorative mouldings, such as architraves, picture rails, etc

Trim ² British  

/ trɪm /

noun

1. the county town of Meath, Republic of Ireland; 12th-century castle, medieval cathedral; textiles and machinery. Pop: 5894 (2002)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• trimness
  noun
• overtrim
  verb
• pretrim
  verb
• trimly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• trims
  plural

Adjectives

• trimmer
  comparative
• trimmest
  superlative

Participles

• trimming
  present
• trimmed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• trim
  simple
• trims
  simple
• have trimmed
  perfect
• has trimmed
  perfect
• am trimming
  progressive
• are trimming
  progressive
• is trimming
  progressive
• have been trimming
  perfect progressive
• has been trimming
  perfect progressive

Past

• trimmed
  simple
• had trimmed
  perfect
• was trimming
  progressive
• were trimming
  progressive
• had been trimming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will trim
  simple
• will have trimmed
  perfect
• will be trimming
  progressive
• will have been trimming
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of trim

First recorded before 900; probably continuing Old English trymman, trymian “to strengthen, prepare” (not recorded in ME), derivative of trum “strong, active”; akin to Irish dron “strong,” Greek drȳmós “coppice,” Latin dūrus “hard”; see tree

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Explanation

When you cut something, literally or figuratively, you trim it. If you have steady hands, you can trim your own bangs. If you don't have steady hands, you can save up for a professional haircut by trimming the amount of money you spend on comics and snacks. A landscaper trims the grass and shrubs, and a cook trims fat off of meat before cooking it. But when you trim the Christmas tree, you decorate it, and when a sailor trims the sails, she adjusts them so they'll catch the wind just right. And as a noun, a trim is "an act of cutting," while trim is "decoration." All forms of this word are rooted in nautical language.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trim Trim trims trimmer trimmest trimmed trimming

International-stock funds posted a minus 1.6% return for the month, to trim their year-to-date advance to 8.3%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

She and her husband, who have a joint income of about £70,000, have already gone through their direct debits and there's "no more obvious fat to trim".

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Doncic finished the first half with 20 points and helped the Lakers trim a 16-point lead to 60-53 at the half.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026

In March 2025, Tesla recalled over 46,000 of the vehicles because of concerns that the car’s trim could become dislodged.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

He cut a very dashing figure, to be sure, in a trim scarlet tunic over deep blue trousers, with a spotless white belt cinched about his waist.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

At the top of Trim Mountain we find the Prestige package.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

Trim positions if you have to, but hold on to the shares of this AI winner.

From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025

Trim lower tree branches and keep woodpiles away from vegetation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025

"It's a bipartisan issue to reduce waste," Trim said.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2023

He was an honest, light-hearted lad, an’ please your honour, as ever blood warm’d—— ——Then he resembled thee, Trim, said my uncle Toby, rapidly.

From The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne

However, in the upper trims, the Expedition is priced close to similarly equipped rivals, such as the aforementioned Chevrolets, the GMC Yukon, and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026

Shares are down 0.3% after Cummins trims its outlook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Deutsche Bank keeps its hold rating on the stock and trims its target price to 336 Swedish kronor from 337 kronor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

That was slightly below the midpoint of an earlier company forecast, as it trims its expectations for ad sales due to a “slightly slower-than-expected rollout of some ad-product capabilities.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

I picture my mother standing behind me with a comb and a pair of scissors, faintly smiling as she trims my hair, and I want to scream rather than insult her like this.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

During her stint as a tree trimmer, she guessed about 70% of the properties she worked on sat empty because they were either second homes or unoccupied Airbnbs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2024

Men with enormous beards that have never known the touch of a trimmer.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2024

Flag football’s five-a-side line-ups mean trimmer rosters compared to the swamped sidelines of tackle football, making for a more compelling case given the IOC's intention to streamline athlete numbers.

From BBC ● May 6, 2024

He showed up to camp looking trimmer and feeling as strong as he has in several years.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2024

The man in front of me—David—is in it, next to my mother, his face a little smoother, his middle a little trimmer.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

This design gives the A8F a stunning presentation of just a giant display with the trimmest of bezels surrounding it.

From The Verge ● Nov. 2, 2018

The company has an annual voluntary 12-week challenge in the fall to encourage employees to be active and not pack on the holiday pounds, with prizes for those who stay trimmest.

From Forbes ● Feb. 25, 2011

It was hell last week on one of the biggest, whitest and trimmest of U.S. inland excursion steamers, the Island Queen.

From Time Magazine Archive

He found the ideal right-hand man in Stanton, who has streamlined CBS into the trimmest organization in broadcasting.

From Time Magazine Archive

Week after week he was to be seen every fourth or fifth day, when his guard tour came, reporting to the commanding officer for duty as "orderly," the nattiest, trimmest soldier on the detail.

From Starlight Ranch and Other Stories of Army Life on the Frontier by Charles King

As the color grew out, McCoy trimmed the shape so the dark roots faded into the blond tips, creating a gradient effect.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

But the Vikings trimmed the lead on Tyler Thornton’s 33-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

TV stars Nick and Vanessa Lachey have trimmed $500,000 off the asking price of their longtime “dream home,” as they prepare to bid farewell to California.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Shares fell more than 5% after the automaker trimmed its full-year earnings expectations, and said it expected higher costs in the fourth quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Regan took it and shoved it unceremoniously into the perfectly trimmed shrubbery next to us.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Honda also upgraded its full-year motorcycle sales projection to 23.3 million units from 22.8 million, while trimming its car sales forecast to 3.16 million units from 3.39 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Mohammed Ashim has been cutting hair and trimming beards for four years in Bengaluru.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Infosys drops after trimming its guidance and reporting a decline in earnings per share.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Daiwa upgrades the stock to buy from hold while trimming its target price to 120,000 won from 130,000 won.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

An absolutely revolting clump of dark hair that probably means Camille was trimming her bangs again.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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Related Words

• clip
• curtail
• cut
• cut back
• cut down
• mow
• pare
• prune
• shave
• shear
• shorten
• whittle down

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