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thick definition

Overview

This page has 21 definitions of thick in English. Thick is an adjective, an adverb, noun and verb. Examples of how to use thick in a sentence are shown. Also define these 87 related words and terms: relatively, extent, surface, opposite, small, solid, dimension, broad, slim, thin, measure, unit, heavy, build, thickset, chunky, stocky, slender, slight, svelte, densely, crowded, packed, dense, sparse, viscous, consistency, glutinous, free-flowing, runny, abounding, number, overflowing, swarming, teeming, scant, scarce, impenetrable, sight, opaque, transparent, accent, prominent, strong, greatly, evocative, nationality, origin, difficult, understand, poorly, articulated, unclear, clear, lucid, stupid, dumb, thick as pigshit, thick as two short planks, brainy, intelligent, smart, friendly, intimate, chummy, close, close-knit, pally, tight-knit, unacquainted, deep, intense, profound, great, extreme, troublesome, unreasonable, curvy, voluptuous, especially, hips, thickest, active, thicket, transitive, intransitive, and thicken.

English

Alternative forms

  • (meme slang: curvy): thicc

Etymology

From Middle English thicke, from Old English þicce (“thick, dense”), from Proto-Germanic *þekuz (“thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *tégus (“thick”). Cognate with Danish tyk (“thick”), Dutch dik (“thick”), Faroese tjúkkur (“thick”), German dick (“thick”), Icelandic þykkur (“thick”), Norwegian Bokmål tykk (“thick”), Norwegian Nynorsk tjukk (“thick”), Saterland Frisian tjuk (“thick”), Swedish tjock (“thick”). Related to Old Irish tiug (“thick”) and Welsh tew (“thick”).

Pronunciation

Adjective

thick (comparative thicker, superlative thickest)

  1. Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension.
    Synonyms: broad; see also Thesaurus:wide
    Antonyms: slim, thin; see also Thesaurus:narrow
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 17, in The China Governess‎[1]:
      The face which emerged was not reassuring. It was blunt and grey, the nose springing thick and flat from high on the frontal bone of the forehead, whilst his eyes were narrow slits of dark in a tight bandage of tissue. […].
    • Solid definition
      That can be picked up or held, having a texture, and usually firm. Unlike a liquid or a gas. (1 of 16 solid definitions)
  2. Measuring a certain number of units in this dimension.
    I want some planks that are two inches thick.
  3. Heavy in build; thickset.
    Synonyms: chunky, solid, stocky, thickset
    Antonyms: slender, slight, slim, svelte, thin; see also Thesaurus:slender
    • 2007, Knight, James T., Queen of the Hustle:
      As she twirled around in front of the mirror admiring how the dress showed off her thick booty, she felt like a princess in a children's storybook.
    • 2009, Kenny Attaway, Nuthouse Love, page 82:
      JJ loved “average hood girls”, Cody loved dark-skinned thick girls and Mooch lusted for yellow-boned skinny woman.
    He had such a thick neck that he had to turn his body to look to the side.
  4. Densely crowded or packed.
    Synonyms: crowded, dense, packed; see also Thesaurus:compact
    Antonyms: sparse; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 3, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.
    We walked through thick undergrowth.
    • Densely definition
      In a dense manner.
    • Crowded definition
      Containing too many of something; teeming.
    • Packed definition
      simple past tense and past participle of pack
  5. Having a viscous consistency.
    Synonyms: glutinous, viscous; see also Thesaurus:viscous
    Antonyms: free-flowing, runny; see also Thesaurus:runny
    My mum’s gravy was thick but at least it moved about.
  6. Abounding in number.
    Synonyms: overflowing, swarming, teeming; see also Thesaurus:plentiful
    Antonyms: scant, scarce, slight
    The room was thick with reporters.
  7. Impenetrable to sight.
    Synonyms: dense, opaque, solid; see also Thesaurus:opaque
    Antonyms: thin, transparent; see also Thesaurus:transparent
    We drove through thick fog.
  8. (Of an accent) Prominent, strong.
    1. Greatly evocative of one's nationality or place of origin.
      He answered me in his characteristically thick Creole patois.
    2. Difficult to understand, or poorly articulated.
      Synonyms: unclear; see also Thesaurus:incomprehensible
      Antonyms: clear, lucid; see also Thesaurus:comprehensible
      We had difficulty understanding him with his thick accent.
    • Poorly definition
      In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort. (1 of 5 poorly definitions)
    • Articulated definition
      simple past tense and past participle of articulate
  9. (informal) Stupid.
    Synonyms: dense, dumb (informal), stupid, thick as pigshit (taboo slang), thick as two short planks (slang); see also Thesaurus:stupid
    Antonyms: brainy (informal), intelligent, smart; see also Thesaurus:intelligent
    He was as thick as two short planks.
    • Stupid definition
      Lacking in intelligence or exhibiting the quality of having been done by someone lacking in intelligence. (1 of 7 stupid definitions)
    • Dumb definition
      Unable to speak; lacking power of speech (kept in "deaf, dumb, and blind"). (1 of 5 dumb definitions)
    • Thick As Two Short Planks definition
      Very stupid.
  10. (informal) Friendly or intimate.
    Synonyms: chummy (UK, informal), close, close-knit, friendly, pally (informal), intimate, tight-knit
    Antonym: unacquainted
    They were as thick as thieves.
    • 1859, Thomas Hughes, The Scouring of the White Horse
      Jem is a tall, good-looking fellow, as old as I am, and that's twenty-one last birthday; we came into the office together years ago, and have been very thick ever since
    • Close definition
      To remove a gap.
      1. To obstruct (an opening).
      2. To move so that an opening is closed. (1 of 13 close definitions)
    • Tight-Knit definition
      Strongly pulled together, tightly knit.
  11. Deep, intense, or profound.
    Synonyms: great, extreme
    Thick darkness.
  12. (Britain, dated) troublesome; unreasonable
    • 1969 Anita Leslie, Lady Randolph Churchill, New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, page 288:
      "Of course I was eager to put her affairs in order," George told my father, "but I found it a bit thick when expected to pay for Lord Randolph Churchill's barouche purchased in the '80s."
  14. (slang, chiefly of women) Curvy and voluptuous, and especially having large hips.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:voluptuous

Derived terms

terms derived from thick (adjective)

Translations

Adverb

thick (comparative thicker, superlative thickest)

  1. In a thick manner.
    Snow lay thick on the ground.
  2. Frequently or numerously.
    The arrows flew thick and fast around us.

Translations

Noun

thick (plural thicks)

  1. The thickest, or most active or intense, part of something.
    It was mayhem in the thick of battle.
    • Active definition
      Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives. (1 of 16 active definitions)
  2. A thicket.
  3. (slang) A stupid person; a fool.
    • 2014, Joseph O'Connor, The Thrill of It All, page 100:
      If there was doctorates in bollocksology and scratching yourself in bed, the two of you'd be professors by now. Pair of loafing, idle thicks.

Derived terms

Translations

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Verb

thick (third-person singular simple present thicks, present participle thicking, simple past and past participle thicked)

  1. (archaic, transitive, intransitive) To thicken.

Synonyms