dim
1 of 4adjective
ˈdim 
dimmer; dimmest
1
a
: emitting or having a limited or insufficient amount of light
dim stars
a dim lamp
a dim hallway
b
: dull, lusterless
dim colors
c
: lacking pronounced, clear-cut, or vigorous quality or character
a dim echo of the past
2
a
: seen indistinctly
a dim outline
b
: perceived by the senses or mind indistinctly or weakly : faint
had only a dim notion of what was going on
c
: having little prospect of favorable result or outcome
a dim future
d
: characterized by an unfavorable, skeptical, or pessimistic attitude —usually used in the phrase take a dim view of
takes a dim view of human nature
3
: dim-witted
too dim to understand the joke
4
: not perceiving clearly and distinctly
dim eyes
dimly adverb
dimmable
ˈdi-mə-bəl
adjective dimness noun
dim
2 of 4verb
dimmed; dimming
transitive verb
1
: to reduce the light from
dim the headlights
2
: to make dim or lusterless
dimmed their hopes of an early settlement
intransitive verb
: to become dim
the lights dimmed
their beauty had dimmed
dim
3 of 4noun
1
automotive vehicles : low beam
2
archaic : dusk, dimness
dim
4 of 4abbreviation
1
dimension
2
diminished
3
diminuendo
4
diminutive
Synonyms
Adjective
- black
- caliginous
- dark
- darkened
- darkish
- darkling
- darksome
- dimmed
- dusk
- dusky
- gloomy
- lightless
- murky
- obscure
- obscured
- pitch-black
- pitch-dark
- pitchy
- rayless
- somber
- sombre
- stygian
- tenebrific
- tenebrous
- unlit
Verb
- becloud
- bedim
- befog
- blacken
- blear
- blur
- cloud
- darken
- dislimn
- fog
- fuzz (up)
- haze
- mist
- obscure
- overcast
- overcloud
- overshadow
- shadow
- shroud
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective Just the dim outline of the building could be seen through the fog. I have a dim memory of your last visit. Verb The latest setback has dimmed hopes of an early settlement. Hopes of an early settlement have dimmed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Barton Swaim, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 In the nineteen-thirties, many took a dim view of Locke’s Africanism, which was decried as a concession to segregation. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2022 The Japanese public also took a dim view of his commitment to holding the Tokyo Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic. Takehiko Kambayashi, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2022 Today, that facility is a dim, burbling room packed with rows of tanks and smelling of seawater. New York Times, 4 Apr. 2022 Pull on your jacket and step into the forests on a dim, misty day. oregonlive, 5 Dec. 2021 If the team can snatch up hope and stomp on dim expectations, some fans have surmised, so too can their beleaguered beautiful hometown. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022 Or to blame them for what seems a dim recommendation, only to criticize them a day later for delays in their next round of recommendations. Kent Sepkowitz, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 Webb’s infrared imaging also will open a new window on other (relatively) cold, dim astronomical objects. Frank Wilczek, WSJ, 30 July 2022 Joanna Stern, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 In the southern province of Sichuan, famous for its rich water resources, the drought and heat wave have forced factories to shut and subways stations to dim the lights in a bid to conserve energy. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 25 Aug. 2022 Most lights using alkaline batteries dim, but the use of lithium batteries pre- vents the typical discharge curve and keeps the lumens in a steady state. Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2020 Supporters of the bill pushed for a pre-recess vote, arguing that its chances dim if Republicans retake the House after November’s midterm elections. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 As economic prospects dim and companies face higher borrowing costs themselves, traders may turn elsewhere for safer investments. Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 June 2022 Most regions of the world saw their economic prospects dim in the first half of 2022. Nicolás Rivero, Quartz, 7 June 2022 Unlike vision, smell, and taste, all of which dim when consciousness shuts down for the night, hearing is a 24/7 operation. John Seabrook, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022 House Republicans have been less receptive to reform, so the chances of bipartisan legislation may dim in 2023. The Editors, National Review, 26 July 2022 David Benedict, Variety, 15 July 2022 Having the iPhone 14’s always-on display dim and showing the entire wallpaper might not seem efficient for the battery. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 1 Aug. 2022 As Pippin, who is established as a poor candidate for becoming a soldier or hero, Shannon Chong is every bit as muscular and handsome and fit as the actor (Brad Weatherford) playing his combat-ready dim-bulb of a brother, Lewis. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2022 Other than a handful of oil-exporting nations like Saudi Arabia, which are benefiting from prices above $100 a barrel, there is barely a spot on the globe that has not seen its outlook dim. New York Times, 7 June 2022 Cepheids, or stars that periodically brighten and dim, have long been the gold standard of cosmic mile markers. Julia Musto, Fox News, 20 May 2022 Antique landscape paintings in golden frames hang next to funky potted ferns, giving the restaurant a vintage Mediterranean look that works best in the dim, candlelit lighting of the evening. Andi Berlin, The Arizona Republic, 6 Feb. 2022 The church was nearly dark, and as eyes adjusted to the dim, the interior came slowly into view: a long nave, an old stone roof and a crucifix at the altar in front of a red drape. New York Times, 2 Jan. 2022 This Coen Brothers movie finds Josh Brolin as an old Hollywood fixer investigating a plot that finds a big-time dim-witted movie star played by George Clooney (doing more great work with the Coens) kidnapped and missing. Evan Romano, Men's Health, 9 Mar. 2022 See More
Adjective
Was his dim view of Italian elites shaped by that experience? Barton Swaim, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 In the nineteen-thirties, many took a dim view of Locke’s Africanism, which was decried as a concession to segregation. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2022 The Japanese public also took a dim view of his commitment to holding the Tokyo Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic. Takehiko Kambayashi, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2022 Today, that facility is a dim, burbling room packed with rows of tanks and smelling of seawater. New York Times, 4 Apr. 2022 Pull on your jacket and step into the forests on a dim, misty day. oregonlive, 5 Dec. 2021 If the team can snatch up hope and stomp on dim expectations, some fans have surmised, so too can their beleaguered beautiful hometown. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022 Or to blame them for what seems a dim recommendation, only to criticize them a day later for delays in their next round of recommendations. Kent Sepkowitz, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 Webb’s infrared imaging also will open a new window on other (relatively) cold, dim astronomical objects. Frank Wilczek, WSJ, 30 July 2022 Verb
The higher-end Pro phones are expected to have always-on displays, which show key information, such as time and date, but dim the rest to save battery. Joanna Stern, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 In the southern province of Sichuan, famous for its rich water resources, the drought and heat wave have forced factories to shut and subways stations to dim the lights in a bid to conserve energy. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 25 Aug. 2022 Most lights using alkaline batteries dim, but the use of lithium batteries pre- vents the typical discharge curve and keeps the lumens in a steady state. Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2020 Supporters of the bill pushed for a pre-recess vote, arguing that its chances dim if Republicans retake the House after November’s midterm elections. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 As economic prospects dim and companies face higher borrowing costs themselves, traders may turn elsewhere for safer investments. Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 June 2022 Most regions of the world saw their economic prospects dim in the first half of 2022. Nicolás Rivero, Quartz, 7 June 2022 Unlike vision, smell, and taste, all of which dim when consciousness shuts down for the night, hearing is a 24/7 operation. John Seabrook, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022 House Republicans have been less receptive to reform, so the chances of bipartisan legislation may dim in 2023. The Editors, National Review, 26 July 2022 Noun
Now teaming up with co-writer Oliver Chris (who played James Corden’s dashing-but-dim master in the earlier hit), Bean is back with another revamp of an old play and London’s National Theatre has high hopes. David Benedict, Variety, 15 July 2022 Having the iPhone 14’s always-on display dim and showing the entire wallpaper might not seem efficient for the battery. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 1 Aug. 2022 As Pippin, who is established as a poor candidate for becoming a soldier or hero, Shannon Chong is every bit as muscular and handsome and fit as the actor (Brad Weatherford) playing his combat-ready dim-bulb of a brother, Lewis. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2022 Other than a handful of oil-exporting nations like Saudi Arabia, which are benefiting from prices above $100 a barrel, there is barely a spot on the globe that has not seen its outlook dim. New York Times, 7 June 2022 Cepheids, or stars that periodically brighten and dim, have long been the gold standard of cosmic mile markers. Julia Musto, Fox News, 20 May 2022 Antique landscape paintings in golden frames hang next to funky potted ferns, giving the restaurant a vintage Mediterranean look that works best in the dim, candlelit lighting of the evening. Andi Berlin, The Arizona Republic, 6 Feb. 2022 The church was nearly dark, and as eyes adjusted to the dim, the interior came slowly into view: a long nave, an old stone roof and a crucifix at the altar in front of a red drape. New York Times, 2 Jan. 2022 This Coen Brothers movie finds Josh Brolin as an old Hollywood fixer investigating a plot that finds a big-time dim-witted movie star played by George Clooney (doing more great work with the Coens) kidnapped and missing. Evan Romano, Men's Health, 9 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Verb, and Noun
Middle English, from Old English dimm; akin to Old High German timber dark
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Phrases Containing dim
Kids Definition
dim 1 of 2
adjective
ˈdim
dimmer; dimmest
1
: not bright or distinct : faint
a dim light
2
: not seeing or understanding clearly
dim eyes
He has only a dim awareness of the problem.
dim
2 of 2verb
dimmed; dimming
: to make or become less bright or clear
Please dim the lights.
His eyesight dimmed with age.
Medical Definition
dim
abbreviation
diminished
dim 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light a dim, windowless room in the basement of the house Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- darkened
- dark
- murky
- dimmed
- unlit
- lightless
- obscured
- dusky
- gloomy
- black
- obscure
- darkling
- darkish
- rayless
- stygian
- dusk
- somber
- darksome
- tenebrous
- caliginous
- sombre
- pitchy
- pitch-dark
- twilit
- pitch-black
- starless
- crepuscular
- moonless
- misty
- shadowy
- gray
- pale
- clouded
- dulled
- tenebrific
- lackluster
- cloudy
- dull
- shady
- foggy
- sunless
- beclouded
- shadowlike
- leaden
- smoggy
- grey
- befogged
- fuliginous
- soupy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- light
- bright
- lighted
- illuminated
- luminous
- lit
- shining
- brilliant
- brightened
- illumined
- lucent
- incandescent
- lucid
- radiant
- glowing
- sparkling
- effulgent
- lightsome
- glaring
- lambent
- resplendent
- alight
- beamy
- beaming
- shiny
- lustrous
- glossy
- aglitter
- agleam
- spotlit
- ultrabright
- moony
- moonlit
- sunlit
- ablaze
- relucent
- starlit
- highlighted
- spotlighted
- floodlit
- floodlighted
2
as in matte
lacking a surface luster or gloss over time, exposure to ultraviolet light will make bright pigments turn dim Synonyms & Similar Words
- matte
- dulled
- dull
- gray
- lusterless
- pale
- mat
- dark
- flat
- matt
- darkened
- grey
- black
- dimmed
- dingy
- tarnished
- drab
- muddy
- obscured
- lackluster
- cloudy
- unpolished
- dusky
- mousy
- gloomy
- obscure
- murky
- darkish
- dirty
- stygian
- somber
- leaden
- mousey
- palish
- tenebrous
- sombre
- pitch-dark
- pitch-black
- tenebrific
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- shiny
- lustrous
- glossy
- sleek
- rubbed
- burnished
- polished
- glazed
- shining
- bright
- lacquered
- varnished
- shining
- silky
- satiny
- satin
- gleaming
- silken
- luminous
- slippery
- sparkling
- dazzling
- glistening
- brilliant
- slick
- shimmering
- incandescent
- radiant
- twinkling
- buffed
- glowing
- effulgent
- shellacked
- lucid
- lucent
- resplendent
- lambent
- glimmering
- refulgent
- glittering
- brightened
- glinting
- fulgent
- candescent
- scintillating
- beaming
- gemmy
- bedazzling
3
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly have only a dim knowledge of the subject Synonyms & Similar Words
- vague
- faint
- hazy
- dark
- pale
- fuzzy
- blurry
- shadowy
- foggy
- misty
- indistinct
- obscure
- murky
- nebulous
- undefined
- bleary
- opaque
- indefinite
- unclear
- blear
- indistinguishable
- undetermined
- dusky
- gloomy
- gauzy
- invisible
- inappreciable
- mysterious
- intangible
- impalpable
- inexplicable
- incomprehensible
- indiscernible
- puzzling
- indecipherable
- hieroglyphic
- obfuscatory
- hieroglyphical
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- clear
- definite
- bright
- obvious
- distinct
- certain
- plain
- evident
- pellucid
- strong
- sure
- firm
4
as in slow
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily our dog is kind of dim, but very sweet-natured Synonyms & Similar Words
- slow
- dumb
- stupid
- dull
- simple
- thick
- dense
- foolish
- soft
- ignorant
- opaque
- vacuous
- obtuse
- dopey
- fatuous
- unintelligent
- idiotic
- gormless
- silly
- doltish
- dorky
- pinheaded
- witless
- unreasonable
- thickheaded
- irrational
- lamebrain
- airheaded
- oafish
- mad
- dunderheaded
- insane
- slow-witted
- boneheaded
- crazy
- softheaded
- brainless
- dim-witted
- mindless
- idiotical
- senseless
- thick-witted
- unsmart
- bonehead
- bubbleheaded
- lunkheaded
- lamebrained
- dopy
- brain-dead
- chuckleheaded
- empty-headed
- half-witted
- moronic
- absurd
- knuckleheaded
- weak-minded
- fool
- birdbrained
- imbecile
- simpleminded
- lunatic
- uneducated
- feebleminded
- cretinous
- uninformed
- illiterate
- looney
- unintellectual
- untaught
- dippy
- dotty
- daffy
- daft
- nutty
- lowbrow
- balmy
- invalid
- unwise
- zany
- loony
- unthinking
- sappy
- wacky
- kooky
- illogical
- imbecilic
- preposterous
- cuckoo
- cockeyed
- fallacious
- tomfool
- asinine
- boobish
- whacky
- screwball
- nonsensical
- featherheaded
- crackpot
- harebrained
- kookie
- half-baked
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- bright
- brilliant
- apt
- sharp
- intelligent
- quick
- fast
- keen
- smart
- clever
- nimble
- acute
- wise
- brainy
- ingenious
- resourceful
- keen
- perceptive
- cerebral
- knowing
- sagacious
- thinking
- intellectual
- insightful
- astute
- savvy
- sage
- discerning
- literate
- erudite
- knowledgeable
- ultrasmart
- scholarly
- learned
- skilled
- hyperintelligent
- supersmart
- sound
- perspicacious
- sharp-witted
- reasonable
- informed
- quick-witted
- educated
- shrewd
- sapient
- trained
- cunning
- sensible
- percipient
- wily
- highbrow
- sane
- valid
- prudent
- crafty
- logical
- judicious
- rational
- well-read
- foxy
- schooled
dim
2 of 2verb
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct the storm clouds dimmed our view of the city from the airplane Synonyms & Similar Words
- obscure
- darken
- blur
- blear
- overcast
- blacken
- shadow
- haze
- fog
- cloud
- mist
- bedim
- overshadow
- becloud
- shroud
- shade
- overcloud
- conceal
- hide
- adumbrate
- eclipse
- fuzz (up)
- befog
- screen
- obliterate
- dislimn
- blot out
- curtain
- cover
- mask
- cloak
- veil
- camouflage
- disguise
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- brighten
- illuminate
- lighten
- light (up)
- illumine
- reveal
- expose
- uncover
- unveil
Phrases Containing dim
- Tripolitania
- tripolitanian
- tripolitanians
- tripolitans
- tripolite
- tripolyphosphate
- tripos
- triposes
- trippant
- tripped
- tripped the light fantastic
- tripped up
- tripper
- trippers
- trippery
- trippet
- trippets
- trippier
- trippiest
- tripping
- tripping bracket
- tripping coil
- tripping line
- tripping relay
- tripping the light fantastic