thinning
[θˈɪnɪŋ] /ˈthin How to pronounce thin (audio)/ (ame, mw)
thinning — adjective
- thinningpositive
- more thinningcomparative
- most thinningsuperlative
1. measuring only a short way from one flat side of something through to the other
measuring only a short way from one flat side of something through to the other — like a thin slice of bread, a thin sheet of paper, or a thin phone
Chidi cut the warm bread into thin slices for the sandwiches.
thin slices — common collocation for food
The ice on the pond was too thin for anyone to skate on.
thin ice — common warning phrase
Jin slipped a thin envelope under the manager's office door.
Camila wore a thin jacket even though the wind was freezing.
The hotel walls are so thin you can hear every word next door.
2. having very little fat or flesh on the body, so that the shape of the bones may
having very little fat or flesh on the body, so that the shape of the bones may be visible under the skin
After months of training for the race, Bao looked thin but very strong.
thin + but + [positive adjective] — contrast pattern
The vet told Tyler that the old dog was too thin and needed richer food.
Wren's face grew thin during the long weeks of her illness.
Chiara has always been naturally thin, no matter how much she eats.
- overweight
more polite than 'fat'
- plump
slightly fat in a soft, rounded way
用法筆記
'Thin' for people often sounds negative or suggests poor health. Use 'slim' or 'slender' when you want a positive or neutral description of a lean body.
3. letting light pass through easily so that objects on the far side can be seen, l
letting light pass through easily so that objects on the far side can be seen, like a thin curtain or a thin piece of fabric
The curtains in the hotel room were so thin that light poured through at dawn.
thin curtains — blocking little light or visibility
Ishaan held the thin sheet of paper up to the window to read the watermark.
The cotton dress was lovely but too thin to wear without a slip underneath.
Yuki's thin cotton dress let the sunlight through, showing her silhouette.
- sheer
extremely thin and almost transparent, used for fabric
- transparent
completely see-through; more formal than 'thin'
- translucent
letting light through but not clear shapes (technical)
4. with few people or items spread out across a space, so that gaps are visible bet
with few people or items spread out across a space, so that gaps are visible between them — like a thin crowd at a show, thinning hair, or bushes growing far apart on a hillside
His hair was getting thin on top, so he began wearing a cap.
thin hair — losing density
The audience at the late-night comedy show was thin but laughed loudly.
The forest grew thin as the hikers neared the edge of the rocky plain.
The crowd at the evening lecture was thin, and half the seats stayed empty.
Good plumbers are thin on the ground in this part of the county.
用法筆記
The phrase 'thin on the ground' is common in British English and means scarce or hard to find.
5. flowing more freely than is usual or wanted, often because too much water or ano
flowing more freely than is usual or wanted, often because too much water or another liquid has been added
The soup at the canteen was thin and needed more vegetables to give it body.
thin soup — watery, lacking substance
Ilan added too much water and the paint became too thin to cover the wall.
If the gravy seems thin, let it boil for another five minutes.
Amihan likes her rice porridge thin, with extra hot milk stirred through.
6. not strong, convincing, or rich enough in quality — describing a voice that soun
not strong, convincing, or rich enough in quality — describing a voice that sounds weak, a smile that hides real feeling, an excuse or argument that nobody believes, or soil too poor to grow healthy plants
Roya's voice sounded thin and tired after the long meeting.
thin voice — weak, lacking resonance
The plot of the film was too thin to hold the audience for two hours.
The manager gave a thin smile when she heard the sales figures.
The thin soil on that hillside could barely grow enough grass for a single goat.
His excuse for missing the deadline was thin and nobody believed it.
- weak
more general; can describe physical strength as well as quality
- flimsy
easily broken or disproved; used for excuses, arguments, structures
- feeble
pathetically weak; stronger negative judgement than 'thin'
- unconvincing
fails to persuade; used for arguments and excuses
- convincing
for arguments and excuses
- rich
for soil, voice quality, or flavour
thinning — verb
- thinningpresent simple I / you / we / they
- thinnings3rd person singular
- thinninging-ing form
- thinningedpast simple
1. to add water or another liquid to a substance so that it becomes less thick and
to add water or another liquid to a substance so that it becomes less thick and flows more easily, or to become less thick naturally
Bao opened the tin of wall paint and thinned it with a cup of water.
thin + [substance] + with + [liquid]
You can thin the sauce by stirring in a little milk at the end.
As the ice cubes melted, the drink thinned and lost its strong taste.
The porridge thinned as Amir stirred in a splash of warm milk.
- dilute
always involves adding liquid; more formal and technical than 'thin'
- water down
phrasal verb; often negative, implying you have made something too weak
- weaken
broader; can apply to strength, taste, or effect
文法句型
thin + [substance] + with + [liquid]
[substance] + thins
用法筆記
The intransitive use (something thins on its own) is common with liquids and mixtures — a sauce thins as it heats, a drink thins as ice melts.
2. to remove some people, plants, or things from a group so that fewer remain and t
to remove some people, plants, or things from a group so that fewer remain and the rest have more room or resources
The crowd thinned out after the main band finished their last song.
[crowd] + thins out — intransitive with 'out'
Ishaan thinned out the carrot seedlings so each plant had room to spread.
thin out + [plants] — gardening context
Traffic finally began to thin once we passed the city limits at dusk.
The library thinned its collection of old magazines before the summer sale.
- swell
to increase in number or size
文法句型
thin + [group] + out
[group] + thins + out
用法筆記
In natural speech and writing, this sense almost always includes 'out': 'the crowd thinned out,' 'thin out the seedlings.' The bare form without 'out' is much rarer.
thinning — adverb
1. in a manner that produces thin pieces, layers, or a thin distribution of somethi
in a manner that produces thin pieces, layers, or a thin distribution of something across a surface
Niran sliced the cucumber thinly for the salad, holding the knife at an angle.
sliced thinly — cutting into fine pieces
Spread the glue thinly across the back of each photograph with a brush.
The butter was spread thinly over all six pieces of warm bread.
Emergency workers were spread thinly across three flood-hit towns that week.
用法筆記
'Thinly' is far more common in everyday English than the flat adverb 'thin.' Use 'thinly' for natural speech and writing.