thick

1 of 3

adjective

1
a
: having or being of relatively great depth or extent from one surface to its opposite
a thick plank
b
: heavily built : thickset
2
a
: close-packed with units or individuals
the air was thick with snow
b
: occurring in large numbers : numerous
c
: viscous in consistency
thick syrup
d
e
: marked by haze, fog, or mist
thick weather
f
: impenetrable to the eye : profound
thick darkness
g
: extremely intense
thick silence
3
: measuring in thickness
12 inches thick
4
a
: imperfectly articulated : indistinct
thick speech
b
: plainly apparent : decided
a thick French accent
c
: producing inarticulate speech
a thick tongue
5
: obtuse, stupid
too thick to understand
6
: associated on close terms : intimate
was quite thick with his pastor
7
: exceeding bounds of propriety or fitness : excessive
called it a bit thick to be fired without warning
thickish adjective
thickly adverb

thick

2 of 3

adverb

: in a thick manner : thickly

thick

3 of 3

noun

1
: the most crowded or active part
in the thick of the battle
2
: the part of greatest thickness
the thick of the thumb
Phrases
thick on the ground

Examples of thick in a Sentence

Adjective a thick layer of ice a thick slice of ham pizza with a thick crust a bodybuilder with a thick, short body The planks were two inches thick. The log was 12 inches thick. a dog with thick fur She has thick, curly hair. The fog was thick this morning. Adverb Apples hung thick on the trees. Noun in the thick of winter many Northerners are dreaming of tropical islands
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Workers had trouble breathing through the thick clouds of spice. Peter Rubin, Longreads, 7 Mar. 2024 From plasma-spewing hellscapes to a frigid land with air so thick a human could don a winged suit and take flight, these extraterrestrial moons are fascinating worlds in their own right, and may even be unexpected candidates for harboring life. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 The crispy baked cookie is finished with a thick chocolate coating. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 Plus, the thinness of the material dries more quickly than thicker, plush towels. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 When shopping for sheet pans, look for thick metal — aluminum or aluminized steel — with a heavy gauge (13 to 18 gauge). Olga Massov, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Your Questions, Answered How thick should a futon mattress be? Jenna Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Feb. 2024 Whereas some lotions are too thick and others are too runny, this rich formulation from Naturium strikes the optimal balance, offering buttery hydration that seamlessly sinks into skin. Mary Honkus, Glamour, 27 Feb. 2024 But Take Note Because the durable material is so thick and strong, the snow tube may feel heavy when fully inflated. Heather Balogh Rochfort, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024
Adverb
For a slab of only a few inches (5 cm) thick, your line only needs to be about one-eighth of an inch (one-half cm) deep. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023 Cucinelli, however, isn’t one to play the purist: the collection also sees the designer dabble in fiber blends including a baby alpaca, wool and polyamide crewneck qnd a thick-looking mélange rollneck that is disarmingly composed of virgin wool, cashmere and silk. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2022 The gift boxes were a real standout in our evaluations as well, and our culinary pros especially loved the thick-cut and meaty bacon — no fatty, stingy slices here. Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping, 17 Feb. 2023 The tank top is also a thick-strapped, cropped style that mimics a sweater vest. Kayla Blanton, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2022 There's a thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel as well as a set of analog gauges. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 9 Dec. 2022 The homestyle diner serves breakfast and lunch from a scratch kitchen and features daily fresh-baked breads, thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon and freshly squeezed juices. Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 And even Bottega Veneta is into the thick-soled trend. Alexis Bennett, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2021 Wipe out the pan and cook the bacon over medium heat until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes for thick-cut bacon. Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 Sep. 2021
Noun
Protests repeatedly run into hostile police opposition, Adra often throwing himself into the thick of conflict and clouds of teargas. Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024 Visit Abisko National Park, centered in the Aurora Oval, where you’ll be treated to an incredible natural sky show, especially during the thick of the winter season. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Before finding themselves into the thick of showtime, Abergel told PEOPLE that the vibes of the getting-ready process in Handler's hotel room were upbeat and included Bob Marley tunes. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024 On Tuesday's episode of (the freshly renewed) 9-1-1: Lone Star, Grace (Sierra McClain) steps out of the call center and into the thick of a dangerous organ-harvesting case. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 1 May 2023 Bowers took most of his recruiting visits in 2020, during the thick of the pandemic. Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2023 The process is like a slowly maturing whisky, and standing in the thick of Flow Country puts the brevity of life into perspective. Aaron Hicklin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 The key to building up a thick in sticky glaze is to add a layer of the honey-soy mixture every few minutes under the broiler. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2023 The magazine was founded in the upheaval of the previous decade, which included the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, as well as the thick of the Vietnam War and the Black Power Movement. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 19 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English thikke, from Old English thicce; akin to Old High German dicki thick, Old Irish tiug

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thick was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thick

Cite this Entry

“Thick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thick. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thick

1 of 3 adjective
1
: having or being of great depth or extent from one surface to its opposite
a thick plank
2
: heavily built : thickset
3
a
: having units closely packed together : dense
a thick forest
b
: occurring in large numbers : numerous
flies were thick in the barn
c
: viscous sense 2
thick syrup
4
: marked by haze, fog, or mist
thick weather
5
: measuring in thickness
12 inches thick
6
a
: not clearly spoken
thick speech
b
: plainly obvious
a thick French accent
7
: stupid sense 1a
too thick to understand
8
: associated on close terms : intimate
those two are really thick
9
: going beyond what is proper or enough
the flattery was a bit thick
thickish adjective
thickly adverb

thick

2 of 3 noun
1
: the most crowded or active part
in the thick of things
2
: the part of greatest thickness
the thick of the thumb

thick

3 of 3 adverb
: in a thick manner : so as to be thick : thickly
misfortunes came thick and fast

More from Merriam-Webster on thick

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