thick
thick — noun
1. the part of a situation, event, or place where the most activity, energy, or dan
the part of a situation, event, or place where the most activity, energy, or danger is happening — for example, being in the middle of a heated argument, a busy protest, or a fast-moving rescue effort.
Quinn found herself in the thick of a heated city council meeting.
idiom pattern: in the thick of + event/location
Volunteers worked in the thick of the flood relief operation all night.
In the thick of the argument, Vikram suddenly stood up and left the room.
Élise stayed in the thick of the dance floor until the music stopped.
文法句型
the thick of + something
用法筆記
Almost always occurs in the fixed phrase 'in the thick of (something)'. The something is typically a conflicted, busy, or intense situation — a debate, a battle, a crisis, a celebration.
常見錯誤
2. the widest or most solid part of an object or body part — for example, the thick
the widest or most solid part of an object or body part — for example, the thick of a plank where it is hardest to break, or the thick of a person's thumb where the muscle bulges out.
The thick of the old tree trunk was nearly a metre across.
pattern: the thick of + object
Dr. Okafor pressed gently on the thick of Amani's forearm.
Ignacio measured the thick of the metal bar before cutting it.
The thick of the rope had worn thin from years of use on the boat.
- widest point
descriptive but not a single-word synonym; has a more technical feel
- bulk
refers to the main mass rather than the single thickest point
- thin part
the narrowest or thinnest section
文法句型
the thick of + body part or object
用法筆記
Refers to the physically thickest point of an object or body part. This sense is less widely used than sense 1; it appears most often when describing measurements, body parts, or the strongest section of a material.
thick — adjective
1. used to describe objects whose two outer faces are far apart — for example, a wa
used to describe objects whose two outer faces are far apart — for example, a wall that is a metre from the inside to the outside, or a book that measures several centimetres across.
The walls of the old castle were almost a metre thick.
A thick layer of snow covered the garden by morning.
collocation: thick layer of [substance]
The book Eve borrowed from the library is nearly four centimetres thick.
Rodrigo wrapped the gift in thick brown paper so nothing would break.
A thick slice of bread is better for making toast in the morning.
- thin
having a small distance between opposite surfaces
文法句型
be + thick
be + number + unit + thick
用法筆記
When asking about or stating measurements, use the pattern: subject + be + number + unit of measurement + thick (e.g. 'How thick is the ice? — It is about ten centimetres thick.').
常見錯誤
2. growing or placed very close together so that there is little space between indi
growing or placed very close together so that there is little space between individual items — used to describe hair, trees, plants, or other things that form a crowded mass.
The path was hard to follow because of the thick bushes on both sides.
Aylin brushed her thick black hair before putting it in a ponytail.
collocation: thick hair
A thick forest stood between the village and the nearest town.
The grass grew so thick that the children could hide in it easily.
Min's garden is thick with wildflowers every spring after the rain.
- sparse
with things placed far apart; not dense at all
文法句型
thick with [plants/hair/objects]
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'with' to name what is filling the space: 'thick with weeds', 'thick with spectators'. Also common after 'so thick that' to describe the result of the density.
常見錯誤
3. so full of something like fog, smoke, or dust that it is hard or impossible to s
so full of something like fog, smoke, or dust that it is hard or impossible to see through it clearly.
Thick fog made it impossible for the ferry to leave the harbour.
collocation: thick fog
Smoke from the fire was so thick that Élise could barely see her hand in front of her face.
pattern: so thick that [result]
The windows were covered in a thick layer of dust from years of neglect.
Drivers were warned to stay off roads because of the thick mist in the valley.
文法句型
thick + [substance noun]
用法筆記
Also describes air that is difficult to breathe, such as air filled with smoke, chemicals, or extreme humidity: 'The air in the room was thick with cigarette smoke.'
4. describes a liquid that does not flow easily because it is heavy and dense, like
describes a liquid that does not flow easily because it is heavy and dense, like cold honey, heavy cream, or certain sauces.
The soup was thick and creamy, perfect for a cold winter evening.
collocation: thick soup
Baraka stirred the paint until it was thick enough to cover the scratches on the wall.
Cold honey is much thicker than warm honey and pours very slowly.
The sauce was too thick, so Padma added a little water to make it thinner.
Thick oil dripped slowly from the engine onto the garage floor.
文法句型
thick + [liquid noun]
用法筆記
Often used with 'too thick' when a liquid needs thinning, or 'thick enough' when the right consistency is needed for cooking or industrial use.
常見錯誤
5. informal and potentially offensive way to say that someone is not intelligent or
informal and potentially offensive way to say that someone is not intelligent or has trouble understanding things that others find simple.
The teacher called him thick just because he needed more time with maths problems.
informal and offensive
Indra felt frustrated when her classmates acted thick on purpose to annoy the substitute teacher.
Kwame stared at the circuit diagram upside down until his roommate laughed and called him thick.
Feng found the instructions confusing and worried the others would think he was thick.
文法句型
be + thick
用法筆記
This sense is considered insulting and rude. It is safer to use 'slow to understand' or 'not very quick' instead. Avoid using this sense in formal writing, professional settings, or when talking about real people.
常見錯誤
6. so full of people or things that they are densely packed together — for example,
so full of people or things that they are densely packed together — for example, a park thick with picnickers, an essay thick with examples, or air thick with excitement.
The streets were thick with shoppers during the holiday weekend.
pattern: thick with [people]
The air in the stadium was thick with excitement before the final match began.
pattern: thick with [emotion/atmosphere]
Sophia's essay was thick with examples that supported every argument she made.
Tech jobs are thick on the ground in that part of the city.
The park was thick with families enjoying the sunny Saturday afternoon.
文法句型
thick with [people/things]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'with' to specify what fills the place. The opposite idiom 'thin on the ground' means there are very few of something.
7. very close and friendly with someone; sometimes used when the closeness seems un
very close and friendly with someone; sometimes used when the closeness seems unusually quick or possibly secretive
The two managers were thick as thieves, always sharing lunch together.
thick as thieves — fixed phrase for close, sometimes suspicious friendship
Sumin found it odd how thick her colleagues had become after just one meeting.
become thick — growing very close very quickly
Jude and Priya grew thick while working together on the project for several months.
The journalist found it worrying how thick the mayor and the business owner had become.
文法句型
be thick with [someone]
grow/become thick
thick as thieves
用法筆記
Frequently used in the fixed phrase 'thick as thieves'. Often carries a suspicion that the close friendship involves something improper.
8. describes a way of speaking that is strongly shaped by a person's region, illnes
describes a way of speaking that is strongly shaped by a person's region, illness, or feelings, making the words harder than usual to understand
Jude's thick Scottish accent made it hard for the tourists to follow his directions.
thick + accent — strongly marked regional quality
When Diya woke up, her voice was thick with sleep and she could barely speak.
thick with [sleep/emotion] — voice affected by a temporary state
The singer's voice grew thick with emotion during the final verse of the song.
After crying for an hour, all Tamás could manage was a thick whisper.
The old fisherman had a thick Devon accent that charmed everyone at the market.
文法句型
thick [accent]
thick with [emotion/state]
用法筆記
Subject is typically a voice, accent, or way of speaking. With 'thick with + noun', the noun is always a state (sleep, emotion, tears) — not a person or object.
9. describes darkness or night that is so deep and complete that it feels almost so
describes darkness or night that is so deep and complete that it feels almost solid or hard to see through
The thick darkness of the cave made it impossible to see one's own hand.
thick darkness — darkness so dense it feels solid
A thick darkness fell over the village as the storm clouds blocked out the moon.
The children huddled together, afraid of the thick darkness in the basement.
Through the thick darkness of the night, only one small lantern glowed.
- deep
less physical; suggests intensity of darkness rather than its density
- impenetrable
more formal and dramatic; emphasizes the inability to see
- pitch-black
more common in everyday speech; emphasizes total absence of light
文法句型
thick [darkness/night/fog]
用法筆記
Almost always used before the noun (attributive) — 'thick darkness', 'thick night'. Not used predicatively ('the darkness was thick' would instead refer to sense 3 or 4).
10. describes a person whose body is broad, solid, and muscular, rather than tall or
describes a person whose body is broad, solid, and muscular, rather than tall or slender
The thick security guard stood at the entrance with his arms crossed.
thick [noun] — describing a person's solid, broad physique
Yael had a thick build from years of working on the family farm.
The rugby team was full of thick, powerful players who did not move easily.
Sophia's grandfather was a thick man with broad shoulders and large hands.
文法句型
thick [body part]
thick build
用法筆記
Used to describe a person's general body shape. Can modify the person directly ('a thick man') or body parts ('thick arms', 'thick neck'). Neutral in tone — not an insult.
常見錯誤
thick — adverb
1. in a way that creates a thick layer or a dense covering on a surface — used espe
in a way that creates a thick layer or a dense covering on a surface — used especially after verbs of spreading, cutting, piling, or settling, as in spreading butter thick on bread or cutting slices thick.
Tamar spread the butter thick on her toast before taking a bite.
verb + thick + on + surface: spread thick on toast
The fog lay thick across the valley, hiding the village below.
inanimate subject + verb + thick: fog lay thick
Hoa cut the slices thick so the bread would hold the soup.
Dust had settled thick on every shelf in the old library.
Kwame piled the blankets thick over his son before closing the window.
- thinly
opposite meaning — spread, cut, or pile so the layer is shallow or sparse
文法句型
verb + thick
verb + thick + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Post-verbal position only — thick as an adverb almost always comes directly after the verb it modifies, not before it. Common with verbs of covering, spreading, cutting, or accumulating (spread, cut, pile, lay, settle).