thickly
/ˈθɪkli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈθɪkli/ (ame, ipa)
thickly — adverb
1. Describes cutting or slicing something so that each piece comes out wide and thi
Describes cutting or slicing something so that each piece comes out wide and thick, rather than thin.
Feng sliced the bread thickly for the morning toast.
slice + thickly for food preparation
The carpenter cut the wooden boards thickly to make sturdy shelves.
cut + thickly for materials
Amelia carved the roast thickly and served it with gravy.
Elena chopped the carrots thickly so they would stay firm in the soup.
- generously
more informal, often used for spreads rather than cuts
- heavily
emphasises weight rather than width
- thinly
produces thin, narrow pieces instead
文法句型
[cut/slice/chop] + thickly
用法筆記
Commonly used with verbs of cutting: slice, cut, chop, carve. The focus is on the width of each piece, not the depth of a layer.
常見錯誤
2. Used when a substance such as snow, paint, dust, or butter forms a deep layer th
Used when a substance such as snow, paint, dust, or butter forms a deep layer that covers a surface completely.
Snow lay thickly on the streets after the overnight blizzard.
lie + thickly (natural accumulation)
Heather spread the butter thickly on her toast.
The old walls were thickly coated with layers of peeling paint.
Dust had settled thickly on the empty bookshelves.
- heavily
emphasises weight or density of the layer
- generously
positive connotation, especially for food spreads
- thinly
a light, shallow layer
文法句型
[cover/spread/coat/lie] + thickly
用法筆記
Often used with passive constructions (be thickly covered/coated/spread). The layer is the focus, not the individual pieces.
常見錯誤
3. Describes a situation where many people, plants, or objects fill an area with ve
Describes a situation where many people, plants, or objects fill an area with very little empty space between them.
The pine forest grew thickly on the mountain slopes.
grow + thickly (natural vegetation density)
Houses were built thickly in the older part of the city centre.
The crowd stood thickly around the stage, waiting for the concert to start.
Ishaan planted the rose bushes thickly along the garden fence.
- sparsely
things placed far apart with lots of empty space
文法句型
[grow/plant/stand/gather] + thickly
用法筆記
Describes spatial density — whether natural (plants, trees) or human-made (buildings, crowds). The image is of many units packed together with little empty space between them.
4. When someone speaks thickly, their regional accent or dialect is very strong and
When someone speaks thickly, their regional accent or dialect is very strong and clearly reveals where they come from.
The tour guide spoke thickly with a southern accent that the visitors found charming.
speak thickly with [accent]
Rania's grandfather still speaks thickly in the dialect of the village where he grew up.
Adina spoke English thickly with a strong Russian accent, and everyone could tell she was from Moscow.
Mayumi could tell from the way the man spoke thickly that he was from Osaka.
- heavily
more common in modern usage; 'heavy accent' vs 'thick accent' are both natural
文法句型
speak + thickly + with + [accent/dialect]
用法筆記
Only used for speech and accents. Unlike the other senses, this one describes a quality of sound rather than physical thickness. The accent is 'thick' meaning strong and unmistakable.
常見錯誤
5. Describes a voice that sounds unclear, rough, or muffled because the speaker is
Describes a voice that sounds unclear, rough, or muffled because the speaker is tired, sick, upset, or emotional.
Hassan answered the phone thickly, his voice still rough from sleep.
answer + thickly (sleep-affected voice)
Nadia tried to explain what happened, but she spoke thickly through her tears.
Inês said goodbye thickly, struggling to keep her voice steady.
The singer's voice came out thickly during the final verse, moved by the song's emotion.
- clearly
easy to understand, no obstruction in the voice
文法句型
speak/talk/answer + thickly
用法筆記
Describes a temporary vocal quality caused by physical or emotional state — not a permanent speech impediment. Often appears with crying, illness, or just waking up.