thin

The word “thin” means having little distance between opposite surfaces; not thick. In plain terms, not thick — used for physical width, body size, liquids, crowds, or weak arguments.

“Thin” is pronounced THIHN (/ˈθɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “thin” used in a sentence: “She sliced the bread into thin, even pieces.”

Words with a similar meaning to “thin” include skinny, slender, slim, svelte, waifish and scrawny.

The opposite of “thin” — its antonyms — is thick.

Depending on how it is used, “thin” can be an adjective and a verb.

The word “thin” comes from Old English. From Old English þynne, an ancient Germanic word related to "stretch" — something stretched thin has little thickness.

“Thin” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

Both describe something with little width, but thin is neutral and general, as in a thin book or a thin slice. Skinny almost always describes a person or animal's body and suggests being too lean, often unflatteringly so. You can call paper thin, but not skinny. Skinny carries a judgment that thin usually does not.

The usual opposite is thick, used for physical width, as in a thick wall or a thick blanket. When describing a person's body, the opposite is more often heavy or plump. For liquids, a thin sauce contrasts with a thick one. The right antonym depends on whether you mean width, body, or consistency.

It depends on context. Describing a person as thin can be neutral or complimentary, though it may hint at frailty. For materials it is often a drawback, as in thin walls or a thin excuse, suggesting weakness or inadequacy. Yet thin can be desirable too, as with a thin, lightweight laptop.