thickened

/ˈθɪk.ən/ (bre, ipa) · [θˈɪkənd] /ˈθɪk.ən/ (ame, ipa)

thickened — verb

  • thickenedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • thickeneds3rd person singular
  • thickeneding-ing form
  • thickenededpast simple

1. When a liquid, sauce, or similar substance becomes less runny and more dense in

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

When a liquid, sauce, or similar substance becomes less runny and more dense in texture, or when someone makes it that way — for example, by heating, cooling, or adding an ingredient like flour or cornflour.

例句

The sauce thickened as Mei-Lin stirred it over a low flame.

intransitive: liquid thickens from heat

Grace thickened the gravy by adding a little cornflour mixed with water.

transitive: thicken + food + by adding ingredient

同義詞
  • coagulate

    more specific — describes proteins clumping together (e.g. blood, milk); used in formal or scientific contexts

  • condense

    focuses on concentration through removal of liquid, not just increased density

  • solidify

    stronger — means becoming completely solid, not just thicker

反義詞
  • thin

    add liquid to make less thick

  • dilute

    reduce concentration by adding more liquid

文法句型

thicken (intransitive) — liquid/substance becomes less runny

thicken + noun (transitive) — make a liquid/sauce thicker

thicken + noun + with + noun — introduce the thickening agent

用法筆記

Common in cooking contexts (sauces, gravies, soups, custards) and weather descriptions (fog, mist). The intransitive form is especially frequent with subjects describing liquids or atmospheric conditions. To specify what makes something thick, use 'with' (thickened with flour, thickened with cream).

常見錯誤

❌I thickened the soup by cornflour.
✅I thickened the soup with cornflour.
💡use 'with' (not 'by') to name the thickening ingredient.
❌She thickened up the sauce before serving.
✅She thickened the sauce before serving.
💡'thicken' already expresses the full meaning; adding 'up' is nonstandard.