thinness
/ˈθɪnnəs/ (bre, ipa) · [θˈɪnnɪs] /ˈθɪnnəs/ (ame, ipa) · [θˈɪnnɪs] /ˈthinnə̇s How to pronounce thinness (audio)/ (ame, mw)
thinness — noun
1. the condition of someone's body weighing very little, so that their bones show o
the condition of someone's body weighing very little, so that their bones show or can be felt under the skin
Priya's thinness worried the school nurse, who called her parents that afternoon.
thinness + worried — often signals a health concern
The vet mentioned the thinness of the rescued fox to every volunteer.
Diego's thinness startled his sister when he walked through the door after the three-week trek.
Kwame could see the thinness in his grandmother's arms as she knitted.
The doctor wrote 'unexplained thinness' on the chart and ordered more tests.
- slimness
more positive; suggests an attractive, healthy leanness
- skinniness
more informal and often negative; implies an unattractive lack of flesh
- leanness
suggests a fit, muscular lack of fat, often from exercise or diet
文法句型
the thinness of + person/animal
用法筆記
Often used in medical or health contexts. Can carry a negative tone when describing people (suggesting illness or malnutrition), but may be neutral when referring to a natural body type.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of a flat object — such as a phone, a credit card, or a sheet of pap
the quality of a flat object — such as a phone, a credit card, or a sheet of paper — having very little depth when measured from one side to the other
Sofia admired the phone's thinness when it slid easily into her pocket.
thinness of manufactured objects — often positive
Amara tested the thinness of the ice with her boot before stepping forward.
Marco cut the vegetables with care, aware of the thinness of each slice.
The thinness of the book surprised Lucia, who had expected a longer story.
Akira measured the thinness of the steel wire before it went into production.
- slenderness
used for objects that are long as well as thin, like a pencil or a column
- fineness
suggests delicate, high-quality thinness, e.g. fine hair or gold thread
文法句型
the thinness of + physical object
用法筆記
Used for physical objects, not for people or abstract ideas. Common with materials, sheets, layers, and manufactured items.
3. the fact that something contains very few people or very little of what you woul
the fact that something contains very few people or very little of what you would normally expect — for example, only a handful of people turning up at a concert, or a story that skips over important details
Fatima was struck by the thinness of the crowd at the evening concert.
The judge dismissed the case against Tariq, citing the thinness of the evidence — a single blurry photograph.
thinness of evidence — common collocation in legal contexts
Rohan shut the book halfway through, annoyed by the thinness of detail in the final chapters.
The thinness of early-morning traffic let Elena reach work in record time.
Ms. Chen looked around the half-empty room and muttered about the thinness of attendance that Friday.
- sparseness
closer match for physical distribution; 'thinness of hair' ≈ 'sparseness of hair'
- scarcity
focuses on shortage rather than low density; 'scarcity of food' is about lack, not thinness
文法句型
the thinness of + crowd/evidence/traffic/detail
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'of' plus a noun describing something measurable: crowd, traffic, evidence, detail. The noun must be something that can be dense or sparse, not a physical depth.
常見錯誤
4. the lack of substance or strength in an argument, excuse, story, or explanation
the lack of substance or strength in an argument, excuse, story, or explanation that makes it fail to convince anyone
The thinness of Marco's excuse made the manager shake his head and demand the truth.
thinness of excuse — describing a weak justification
Yara leaned over and muttered about the thinness of the sales pitch after three empty slides.
Half an hour in, Lucia leaned over and noted the thinness of the film's plot.
The thinness of the company's apology — two lines on social media — only made the public angrier.
The journalist waved the thin report and questioned the thinness of its account of the factory fire.
- weakness
broader; can apply to people, structures, and arguments equally
- flimsiness
suggests something easily disproved or seen through, like a bad excuse
- shallowness
focuses on lack of depth or thought, e.g. a shallow argument with no real ideas
文法句型
the thinness of + excuse/argument/plot/explanation
用法筆記
Almost always used with abstract nouns: excuse, argument, plot, explanation, apology. The thing described must be an attempt to persuade, convince, or satisfy.
常見錯誤
5. the quality of a liquid that makes it flow very easily, usually because too much
the quality of a liquid that makes it flow very easily, usually because too much water has been added and not enough solid ingredients remain
The thinness of the soup told Akira the cook had added too much water.
thinness of soup/sauce — signalling too much liquid
The chef checked the thinness of the sauce before taking the pan off the heat.
Diego complained about the thinness of the paint, which dripped straight off the wall.
The thinness of the waiting-room coffee made Priya long for a proper cup.
Fatima tested the thinness of the batter by lifting the spoon and watching it drip.
- wateriness
more specific; always negative and refers to too much water content
- fluidity
neutral; describes how easily a liquid flows without judging whether it should be thicker
文法句型
the thinness of + liquid/sauce/paint/soup
用法筆記
Common in cooking and painting contexts. The liquid being described is usually something that should normally be thicker — soup, sauce, batter, paint, or coffee.
6. the condition of air when it has far less oxygen than the air people normally br
the condition of air when it has far less oxygen than the air people normally breathe, making it harder to take in enough with each breath and often found at high altitudes
The thinness of the air at the mountain summit left Kwame panting for several minutes.
thinness of the air at altitude — linked to breathing difficulty
The pilot warned about the thinness of the air before the passengers removed their masks.
Sofia felt dizzy from the thinness of the air inside the old mine shaft.
The thinness of the air on the high plateau forced the team to stop and rest often.
Rohan trained for weeks in a special room that copied the thinness of air at altitude.
- rarefaction
technical physics term for reduced air density; not for everyday conversation
- density
of air; a more scientific term
文法句型
the thinness of the air
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for high-altitude settings. 'Thin air' is the more common everyday collocation, but 'the thinness of the air' is the equivalent noun phrase.