dimly

/ˈdɪmli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɪmli/ (ame, ipa)

dimly — adverb

1. with very little light, or so unclearly that something is hard to see or hear we

1.副詞B2
釋義

with very little light, or so unclearly that something is hard to see or hear well

例句

The hallway was dimly lit by one lamp near the stairs.

common pattern: dimly lit

From the boat, Joon could see the village dimly through the fog.

dimly with verb of seeing

同義詞
  • faintly

    broader; often used for weak sound, smell, or light

  • weakly

    focuses more on low force or energy than on darkness

  • indistinctly

    stresses that details are not clear

反義詞
  • brightly

    opposite when there is plenty of light

  • clearly

    opposite when something can be seen or heard without difficulty

文法句型

dimly lit

glow/burn dimly

dimly visible through something

用法筆記

This sense is most common with light sources, things that can be seen, or sounds that reach you weakly. It often appears in patterns like 'dimly lit' or 'dimly visible'.

常見錯誤

❌The sign shone dimly bright above the door.
✅The sign shone dimly above the door.
💡'Dimly' already shows weak light, so it should not be combined with 'bright'.
❌The room was slightly lit by a candle.
✅The room was dimly lit by a candle.
💡Use 'dimly' for weak light, not 'slightly'.

2. to a small and unclear degree, especially in memory, awareness, or understanding

2.副詞B2
釋義

to a small and unclear degree, especially in memory, awareness, or understanding

例句

Samir dimly remembered the song his grandmother sang on bus trips.

collocation: dimly remembered

Walid was dimly aware of voices outside the hospital room.

be dimly aware of

同義詞
  • vaguely

    most common for ideas or memories that are not clear

  • hazily

    suggests blurred memory or thought

  • imperfectly

    more formal; stresses incomplete understanding

反義詞
  • clearly

    opposite when you understand or remember well

  • fully

    opposite when awareness or understanding is complete

文法句型

dimly remember/recall

be dimly aware of

dimly understand why

用法筆記

This sense usually goes with mental states such as remembering, noticing, or understanding. Unlike sense 1, it is not about physical darkness but about an idea or memory being weak.

常見錯誤

❌Rohan dimly carried the boxes upstairs.
✅Rohan slowly carried the boxes upstairs.
💡'Dimly' does not describe the physical manner of carrying something.
❌I was dimly angry about the delay.
✅I was slightly angry about the delay.
💡This sense is about weak awareness or memory, not the strength of an emotion.