dim
dim — adjective
- dimpositive
- dimmercomparative
- dimmestsuperlative
1. having or giving very little light, so that things are hard to see clearly.
having or giving very little light, so that things are hard to see clearly.
The room was so dim that Olivia had to switch on the desk lamp to read her letter.
so dim that + result clause
Mira lit a candle in the dim hallway to find her way back to the kitchen.
dim + noun (hallway, room, light)
The dim streetlamp cast a soft orange glow onto the wet pavement.
It is difficult to take clear photos when the restaurant lighting is too dim.
dim light/lighting — common collocation
- dim light
- dim room
- dim hallway
- dim lighting
- dim glow
- grow dim
- become dim
Grammar Patterns
dim + noun (light, room, street, etc.)
Usage Note
Often describes rooms, lights, and spaces where visibility is reduced. Can also describe natural light at dawn or dusk.
Common Mistakes
2. having difficulty seeing things clearly, often because of older age, tired eyes,
having difficulty seeing things clearly, often because of older age, tired eyes, or a medical condition.
Nala's grandmother has dim eyesight now, so she needs large-print books.
dim eyesight — describes declining vision
After staring at the computer screen for ten hours, Sven's eyes felt dim and tired.
Apinya's vision grew dim after the accident, but it slowly returned over the next few days.
vision/eyes grow dim — gradual change
The old sailor's eyes had grown dim from years of staring into the bright sun at sea.
- dim eyes
- dim vision
- dim eyesight
- grow dim
- become dim
Grammar Patterns
dim + noun (eyes, vision, eyesight)
Usage Note
Almost always used with 'eyes,' 'vision,' or 'eyesight.' The verb phrase 'grow dim' or 'become dim' is common for describing gradual decline.
Common Mistakes
3. describes a memory or feeling that is not clear or detailed in your mind.
describes a memory or feeling that is not clear or detailed in your mind.
Vikram has only a dim memory of the family vacation he took when he was four years old.
dim memory/recollection — not clearly remembered
Talia had a dim recollection of meeting Emre at the trade fair in Milan two years ago.
Femi's dim awareness of the argument came back only after his friend reminded him of the details.
dim awareness — barely conscious of something
Omar's memory of the song was too dim to hum more than a few notes.
- dim memory
- dim recollection
- dim awareness
- dim impression
Grammar Patterns
dim + noun (memory, recollection, awareness)
Usage Note
Only used for mental impressions — memories, recollections, or vague awareness. Do not confuse with adjective sense 1 ('NOT BRIGHT'), which describes physical light.
4. slow to understand or learn things; not quick-thinking. Used informally, sometim
slow to understand or learn things; not quick-thinking. Used informally, sometimes as a gentle criticism.
'Don't be so dim,' Omar told his younger brother. 'The answer is right in front of you.'
informal idiom: 'don't be so dim'
Sven felt really dim when he could not solve the simple puzzle the children had finished in minutes.
The teacher sighed and said, 'I know you are not dim, but you need to pay more attention in class.'
Lan's friends teased her for being dim, but she was actually just shy about speaking up.
be dim — used to describe a person's intelligence
- a bit dim
- rather dim
- dim person
- dim student
- dim-witted
Grammar Patterns
be dim
feel dim
too dim to + verb
Usage Note
Informal and can sound rude. More common in British English than American English. The longer form 'dim-witted' is also common. Avoid using in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
5. giving little or no reason to expect a good result; not hopeful.
giving little or no reason to expect a good result; not hopeful.
After losing her job and her apartment, Paloma's prospects for the year looked dim.
prospects look dim — bleak, unpromising
The doctor gently explained that the patient's chances of a full recovery were dim.
Without more funding from the city, the future of the community library looks very dim indeed.
future looks dim — no hope of improvement
With the factory closing and few jobs nearby, the town's economic prospects were dim.
prospects are dim — adjective describing a bleak situation
- dim prospects
- dim chances
- dim future
- dim outlook
- look dim
- bleak
stronger emotional tone; suggests something is harsh and hopeless
- gloomy
adds a feeling of sadness to the lack of hope
- unpromising
more formal and neutral; implies the situation simply does not look good
- poor
simpler and more general; 'poor chances' is common in everyday speech
Grammar Patterns
dim + noun (prospects, chances, future, outlook)
Usage Note
Commonly paired with nouns like 'prospects,' 'chances,' 'future,' or 'outlook.' Less common with people directly — we say prospects 'are dim,' not a person 'is dim.'
dim — noun
1. the lower, less bright setting of a vehicle's headlights, used when other cars a
the lower, less bright setting of a vehicle's headlights, used when other cars are nearby or in fog.
When Femi saw a car approaching from the opposite direction, he switched to dims.
switch to dims — British informal usage
The driving instructor reminded Lan to use her dims while driving through the foggy mountain roads.
Please put your headlights on dim when there is oncoming traffic on the motorway.
on dim — set to low-beam mode
Nala's car has automatic dims that switch to low beam when sensors detect other vehicles.
- on dim
- switch to dims
- use dims
- automatic dims
- low beam
standard term in American English and formal contexts
- dipped headlights
formal British English term
Grammar Patterns
on dim
put/switch headlights to dim
Usage Note
Usually used in the plural ('dims'). In American English, the term 'low beams' is more common than 'dims.' Mainly used by British and Commonwealth English speakers.
Common Mistakes
2. the soft, low light that remains after the sun has gone down, or in a shadowy pl
the soft, low light that remains after the sun has gone down, or in a shadowy place.
The old fisherman liked to sit on the pier and watch the boats in the dim of the evening.
the dim of the evening — literary usage
As the sun set behind the hills, the shapes of the trees slowly disappeared into the dim.
Paloma could just make out the outline of the castle through the dim of the early morning mist.
The fireflies gave the only light in the dim of the summer night.
in the dim — prepositional phrase describing low light
- the dim of
- in the dim
- evening dim
- daylight
bright natural light during the day
- brightness
strong, clear light
Grammar Patterns
the dim of + (time/place)
Usage Note
Poetic or literary in tone. Rare in everyday conversation. More common in written descriptions of landscape, atmosphere, or old-fashioned prose.
dim — verb
- dimpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dims3rd person singular
- dimming-ing form
- dimmedpast simple
1. to make light weaker, or for light to naturally become weaker.
to make light weaker, or for light to naturally become weaker.
Olivia dimmed the lights in the living room to create a cosy atmosphere for the dinner party.
dim + lights — very common transitive pattern
The afternoon sun dimmed as thick grey clouds rolled in from the east.
Nala dimmed her phone screen so the bright display would not disturb the other passengers on the train.
The fire slowly dimmed until only orange embers glowed in the stone fireplace.
intransitive: fire/lights dim naturally
- dim the lights
- dim the screen
- dim the flame
- sun dims
- lights dim
- grow dim
Grammar Patterns
dim + object (lights, screen, fire)
subject + dim + (no object)
Usage Note
Both transitive ('She dimmed the light') and intransitive ('The light dimmed') uses are common. The objects are typically artificial lights, screens, or natural light sources like the sun or fire.
Common Mistakes
2. for a good feeling, ability, or happy memory to grow weaker over time, or to cau
for a good feeling, ability, or happy memory to grow weaker over time, or to cause this gradual loss.
Time has not dimmed Talia's passion for painting; she still visits galleries every weekend.
dim + enthusiasm/passion/interest — positive feelings
The team's hopes of winning the championship dimmed after their best player was injured.
Apinya's enthusiasm for the volunteer project began to dim when she saw how much paperwork it involved.
enthusiasm dims/begins to dim — gradual weakening
The excitement of living in a big city never dimmed for Mira, even after ten years in Taipei.
- dim the memory
- dim hopes
- dim enthusiasm
- dim passion
- hopes dim
- enthusiasm dims
- intensify
to become stronger or more extreme
- strengthen
to make a feeling or quality more powerful
Grammar Patterns
dim + object (hopes, enthusiasm, memories)
hopes + dim (intransitive)
Usage Note
Metaphorical — extends the physical meaning of dimming lights to emotions and qualities. Objects are typically positive: hopes, enthusiasm, passion, joy, excitement, memories. Does NOT apply to negative feelings (e.g., we do not say 'dim his anger').
Common Mistakes
Word family
- dimlyadverbB2
- dimnessnounB2
- dimmernounB2
- dim-wittedadjectiveC1
- dim-witnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
'Dim' describes a place or light source that has some light, but not enough to see clearly by — like a room lit by a single candle. 'Dark' is stronger: it means there is little or no light at all. A room that is 'dark' has no light visible, while a 'dim' room still lets you see shapes. 'Gloomy' adds an emotional layer of sadness or depression to the lack of light — a 'gloomy' day feels heavy and sad, whereas a 'dim' day just has low light. 'Dull' focuses on the quality of the light being flat or not bright, often used for colours ('dull grey sky') rather than spaces. 'Faint' describes the light source itself, not the space — a 'faint glimmer' means the light is weak and far away. Example: 'The room was dim, so she turned on a lamp.' vs 'The room was dark; she could not see anything.' vs 'The gloomy weather made everyone feel tired.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'dim' comes from Old English 'dim(m),' meaning dark, gloomy, or obscure. It can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word '*dimbaz,' which carried the same meaning of darkness and shadow. Related words exist in other Germanic languages — for example, Old Norse 'dimma' (darkness) and Old High German 'timbar' (dark, gloomy). The sense of someone being 'not very clever' is much newer, first appearing in British slang in the early 1900s. The idea is that a person's mind is metaphorically 'darkened' or lacking the light of understanding.
First known use
12th century
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb