thick
1 of 3adjective
ˈthik 
1
a
: having or being of relatively great depth or extent from one surface to its opposite
a thick plank
b
: heavily built : thickset
2
a
: close-packed with units or individuals
the air was thick with snow
b
: occurring in large numbers : numerous
c
: viscous in consistency
thick syrup
d
: sultry, stuffy
e
: marked by haze, fog, or mist
thick weather
f
: impenetrable to the eye : profound
thick darkness
g
: extremely intense
thick silence
3
: measuring in thickness
12 inches thick
4
a
: imperfectly articulated : indistinct
thick speech
b
: plainly apparent : decided
a thick French accent
c
: producing inarticulate speech
a thick tongue
5
: obtuse, stupid
too thick to understand
6
: associated on close terms : intimate
was quite thick with his pastor
7
: exceeding bounds of propriety or fitness : excessive
called it a bit thick to be fired without warning
thickish
ˈthi-kish
adjective thickly adverb
thick
2 of 3adverb
: in a thick manner : thickly
thick
3 of 3noun
1
: the most crowded or active part
in the thick of the battle
2
: the part of greatest thickness
the thick of the thumb
Synonyms
Adjective
- chunky
- fat
Noun
- deep
- depth
- height
- middle
- midst
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective a thick layer of ice a thick slice of ham pizza with a thick crust a bodybuilder with a thick, short body The planks were two inches thick. The log was 12 inches thick. a dog with thick fur She has thick, curly hair. The fog was thick this morning. Adverb Apples hung thick on the trees. Noun in the thick of winter many Northerners are dreaming of tropical islands See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2022 All other plants should be irrigated with inline drip irrigation and protected with a layer of mulch at least 3 inches thick. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 An inch or two thick layer forms a good mulch for most plantings and allows water and nutrient penetration. Tom Maccubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 More to Know: Up to three times per week, leave a thick layer of the mask on for 20 minutes for an unmatched glow-up. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2022 Bontrager uses an exclusive technology in some of its newest helmets, called WaveCel, which is a thick layer comprised of polyester that crumples and flexes on impact. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 19 Aug. 2022 The French Cigéo site, which sits in a thick layer of Jurassic clay, is scheduled to open in 2035. Howard Lee, Ars Technica, 17 Aug. 2022 Then cover the bottom of the bed with a thick layer of overlapping newspapers or sheets of cardboard before adding soil. Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2022 In these northerly latitudes, the coldest months traditionally brought the formation of a thick layer of sea ice, isolating islanders before air travel, but also girding the coast with a protective barrier against winter storms. Taras Grescoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2022 Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2022 Jenner opted for a blousy, white unbuttoned shirtdress, with baggy long-sleeves and a form-fitting shirt, complemented with white, futuristic thick-framed sunglasses and a bright oversized sequin clutch in the shape of a lipstick. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2022 Old women squinted through thick-rimmed glasses against the bright May sky. Washington Post, 19 May 2022 The portrait featured, against a patterned backdrop, a man in a polished white suit and thick-rimmed glasses delicately presenting a single flower to the viewer. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 29 Apr. 2022 The change – which will take effect for games Thursday, July 28, and Friday, July 29 – will honor the city’s JoJo potato, the thick-sliced, hearty wedge. Marc Bona, cleveland, 10 Feb. 2022 Boss, who is 87, greeted me in her building’s lobby wearing thick-framed glasses, her light blonde hair short and an Apple Watch clasped on her left wrist. New York Times, 15 Dec. 2021 Even before sliding behind the thick-rimmed, multifunction steering wheel, we were impressed by the G80’s stunning proportions and clean body lines. Karl Brauer, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 Slice plantains about 1/4-inch thick on a bias or lengthwise into long strips. Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2021 Ricardo Cano, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Sep. 2022 One defining Finnish Larp from 1998, Ground Zero, was set in the thick of the Cold War and unfolded in a basement mocked up to look like an Oklahoma bomb shelter. WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022 Gavras has clearly studied the physicality of the great siege and battle movies, making extensive use of long takes to dial up both the immersive aspect and the immediacy, placing us right in the thick of things. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2022 The film stars Chalamet and Taylor Russell as two outcast teens — who are also cannibals — traveling and eating their way around the Midwest in the thick of Reagan’s America. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2022 If the Vols choose to give McCoy and Tillman a workout, Uzodinma is likely to be in the thick of things. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2022 While little else about those documents is visible, it's known that in August 2018, Trump was in the thick of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Will Steakin, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2022 But, with the season taking place in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no fans around to witness it. Wilson Moore, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Aug. 2022 Moore has spent decades in the thick of the messy, bureaucratic business of Arkansas government. Werner Trieschmann, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2022 See More
Adjective
The blaze continued to grow Thursday, but fire behavior was moderated Thursday morning and into the afternoon by rebounding humidity levels and a thick layer of smoke that shaded the east side of the fire, Cal Fire officials said. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2022 All other plants should be irrigated with inline drip irrigation and protected with a layer of mulch at least 3 inches thick. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 An inch or two thick layer forms a good mulch for most plantings and allows water and nutrient penetration. Tom Maccubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 More to Know: Up to three times per week, leave a thick layer of the mask on for 20 minutes for an unmatched glow-up. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2022 Bontrager uses an exclusive technology in some of its newest helmets, called WaveCel, which is a thick layer comprised of polyester that crumples and flexes on impact. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 19 Aug. 2022 The French Cigéo site, which sits in a thick layer of Jurassic clay, is scheduled to open in 2035. Howard Lee, Ars Technica, 17 Aug. 2022 Then cover the bottom of the bed with a thick layer of overlapping newspapers or sheets of cardboard before adding soil. Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2022 In these northerly latitudes, the coldest months traditionally brought the formation of a thick layer of sea ice, isolating islanders before air travel, but also girding the coast with a protective barrier against winter storms. Taras Grescoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2022 Adverb
Her mother found her a pair of vintage thick-rimmed white glasses from a Boy Scout tag sale in Darien, Connecticut. Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2022 Jenner opted for a blousy, white unbuttoned shirtdress, with baggy long-sleeves and a form-fitting shirt, complemented with white, futuristic thick-framed sunglasses and a bright oversized sequin clutch in the shape of a lipstick. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2022 Old women squinted through thick-rimmed glasses against the bright May sky. Washington Post, 19 May 2022 The portrait featured, against a patterned backdrop, a man in a polished white suit and thick-rimmed glasses delicately presenting a single flower to the viewer. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 29 Apr. 2022 The change – which will take effect for games Thursday, July 28, and Friday, July 29 – will honor the city’s JoJo potato, the thick-sliced, hearty wedge. Marc Bona, cleveland, 10 Feb. 2022 Boss, who is 87, greeted me in her building’s lobby wearing thick-framed glasses, her light blonde hair short and an Apple Watch clasped on her left wrist. New York Times, 15 Dec. 2021 Even before sliding behind the thick-rimmed, multifunction steering wheel, we were impressed by the G80’s stunning proportions and clean body lines. Karl Brauer, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 Slice plantains about 1/4-inch thick on a bias or lengthwise into long strips. Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2021 Noun
Smith was seven years on the job when, in 2002, BART entered its 30th year of service in the thick of a years-long ridership decline and a $60 million budget hole following the dot-com implosion. Ricardo Cano, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Sep. 2022 One defining Finnish Larp from 1998, Ground Zero, was set in the thick of the Cold War and unfolded in a basement mocked up to look like an Oklahoma bomb shelter. WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022 Gavras has clearly studied the physicality of the great siege and battle movies, making extensive use of long takes to dial up both the immersive aspect and the immediacy, placing us right in the thick of things. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2022 The film stars Chalamet and Taylor Russell as two outcast teens — who are also cannibals — traveling and eating their way around the Midwest in the thick of Reagan’s America. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2022 If the Vols choose to give McCoy and Tillman a workout, Uzodinma is likely to be in the thick of things. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2022 While little else about those documents is visible, it's known that in August 2018, Trump was in the thick of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Will Steakin, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2022 But, with the season taking place in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no fans around to witness it. Wilson Moore, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Aug. 2022 Moore has spent decades in the thick of the messy, bureaucratic business of Arkansas government. Werner Trieschmann, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English thikke, from Old English thicce; akin to Old High German dicki thick, Old Irish tiug
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing thick
Kids Definition
thick 1 of 2
adjective
ˈthik
thicker; thickest
1
: having great size from one surface to its opposite
a thick wall
2
: closely packed together
thick hair
a thick clump of bushes
3
: heavily built
a thick neck
4
: not flowing easily
a thick milk shake
5
: measuring a certain amount in the smallest of three dimensions
two millimeters thick
6
: producing speech that is hard to understand
She speaks with a thick accent.
7
: stupid sense 1
8
: occurring in large numbers : numerous
Mosquitoes were thick in the swamp.
9
: having haze, fog, or mist
The air was thick.
10
: too intense to see in
thick darkness
thick
2 of 2noun
1
: the most crowded or active part
The soldier was in the thick of the battle.
2
: the part of greatest thickness
the thick of the thumb
thick 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in dense
having or being of relatively great depth or extent from one surface to its opposite a thick board was laid across the pit Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- dense
- fat
- chunky
- wide
- deep
- thickish
- bulky
- broad
- blocky
- hefty
- blockish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- thin
- slender
- narrow
- skinny
- slim
- shallow
2
as in viscous
being of a consistency that resists flow thick maple syrup for pancakes Synonyms & Similar Words
- viscous
- sticky
- syrupy
- heavy
- ropy
- thickish
- condensed
- thickened
- ropey
- creamy
- viscid
- gluey
- turbid
- slushy
- gooey
- glutinous
- gelatinous
- concentrated
- undiluted
- semiliquid
- jellylike
- semifluid
- gummy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- thin
- runny
- watery
- soupy
- fluid
- flowing
- liquid
- weak
- dilute
- diluted
- watered-down
3
as in close
closely acquainted those two have been thick since grade school Synonyms & Similar Words
- close
- familiar
- tight
- intimate
- bosom
- friendly
- chummy
- near
- comfortable
- inseparable
- inward
- loving
- especial
- warm
- affectionate
- buddy-buddy
- clannish
- social
- hearty
- easy
- companionable
- cozy
- cordial
- tight-knit
- dear
- convivial
- close-knit
- affable
- gracious
- boon
- snug
- secretive
- gregarious
- genial
- fond
- adoring
- confidential
- amicable
- neighborly
- sociable
- devoted
- tender
- tenderhearted
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- distant
- cold
- distant
- cool
- frosty
- withdrawn
- detached
- remote
- unfriendly
- aloof
- antisocial
- standoffish
- unsociable
- reserved
4
as in wide
having a greater than usual measure across cross your name off the list with a really thick line so I can see it Synonyms & Similar Words
- wide
- broad
- fat
- extensive
- expansive
- voluminous
- oversize
- oversized
- sweeping
- roomy
- spacious
- substantial
- sizable
- commodious
- sizeable
- outsize
- outsized
- tidy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- thin
- slender
- narrow
- skinny
- slim
- fine
- elongated
- hairlike
- reedlike
- tight
- paper-thin
- needlelike
- compressed
- elongate
- close
- squeezed
- condensed
- slim-jim
- constricted
- tightened
- small
- hairline
- contracted
- attenuated
- bottleneck
- smallish
- attenuate
- undersized
- undersize
5
as in tight
having little space between items or parts a hedge thick with gorse bushes Synonyms & Similar Words
- dense
- tight
- packed
- crowded
- close
- compact
- jammed
- serried
- crammed
- solid
- jam-packed
- compressed
- compacted
- condensed
- squeezed
- overcrowded
- crushed
- pressed
- impenetrable
- massed
- hard
- airtight
- congested
- snug
- impermeable
- wall-to-wall
- impervious
- firm
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- loose
- airy
- open
- spacious
- roomy
- uncrowded
- commodious
6
as in slow
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily couldn't believe that his guests were so thick that they were missing his hints that it was time to leave Synonyms & Similar Words
- slow
- dense
- stupid
- dumb
- simple
- soft
- dull
- opaque
- obtuse
- ignorant
- foolish
- dim
- idiotic
- vacuous
- thickheaded
- unintelligent
- dopey
- fatuous
- silly
- pinheaded
- unreasonable
- doltish
- dorky
- insane
- oafish
- senseless
- brainless
- thick-witted
- mad
- crazy
- mindless
- boneheaded
- dunderheaded
- lamebrain
- witless
- bonehead
- airheaded
- irrational
- gormless
- softheaded
- idiotical
- dim-witted
- knuckleheaded
- lunkheaded
- bubbleheaded
- slow-witted
- dopy
- unsmart
- chuckleheaded
- lamebrained
- half-witted
- empty-headed
- brain-dead
- moronic
- weak-minded
- absurd
- birdbrained
- lunatic
- cretinous
- fool
- feebleminded
- simpleminded
- uneducated
- imbecile
- nutty
- looney
- lowbrow
- dippy
- unintellectual
- uninformed
- unthinking
- dotty
- cuckoo
- illiterate
- zany
- sappy
- boobish
- balmy
- daft
- asinine
- illogical
- preposterous
- invalid
- untaught
- nonsensical
- wacky
- screwball
- unwise
- imbecilic
- daffy
- loony
- tomfool
- kooky
- fallacious
- featherheaded
- crackpot
- cockeyed
- harebrained
- whacky
- half-baked
- kookie
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sharp
- bright
- fast
- brilliant
- quick
- smart
- intelligent
- clever
- nimble
- apt
- acute
- keen
- brainy
- ingenious
- wise
- resourceful
- cerebral
- intellectual
- knowing
- insightful
- keen
- thinking
- perceptive
- sage
- erudite
- sagacious
- ultrasmart
- skilled
- astute
- knowledgeable
- savvy
- scholarly
- sound
- literate
- discerning
- learned
- supersmart
- quick-witted
- cunning
- sharp-witted
- hyperintelligent
- trained
- reasonable
- wily
- shrewd
- informed
- educated
- perspicacious
- sensible
- highbrow
- judicious
- valid
- crafty
- logical
- sapient
- prudent
- well-read
- sane
- percipient
- rational
- foxy
- schooled
7
as in filled
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified a meadow thick with wildflowers Synonyms & Similar Words
- filled
- crowded
- packed
- abundant
- jammed
- crammed
- saturated
- stuffed
- bursting
- teeming
- swarming
- awash
- bulging
- lousy
- replete
- fraught
- flush
- thronging
- abounding
- rife
- loaded
- brimming
- fat
- full
- overstuffed
- buzzing
- busy
- clogged
- congested
- overcrowded
- overfilled
- overloaded
- overflowing
- chock-full
- jam-packed
- lively
- overladen
- chockful
- bustling
- animated
- surfeited
- humming
- overfull
- astir
- alive
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- bare
- blank
- empty
- barren
- devoid
- stark
- short
- void
- vacant
- insufficient
- depleted
- incomplete
- drained
- deficient
- exhausted
thick
2 of 2noun
as in middle
the most intense or characteristic phase of something in the thick of winter many Northerners are dreaming of tropical islands Synonyms & Similar Words
- middle
- deep
- midst
- height
- center
- depth
- heart