English Reference
Idiom idiom

thick end


Most; the greater part (of an amount of money).

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The repairs cost the thick end of a thousand dollars.

CONTEXTUAL

He spent the thick end of his savings on a car that broke down the next day.

COMPLEX

After the legal fees were settled, the thick end of the inheritance had been consumed by taxes and administrative costs.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all ends up

    Completely; totally.

  2. 02

    arse end of nowhere

    A very remote place.

  3. 03

    big end of town

    The top end of town.

  4. 04

    bitter end

    The end of a long and difficult process.

  5. 05

    blood is thicker than water

    Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.

  6. 06

    burn the candle at both ends

    To work hard night and day; to sleep late and wake up early; to overwork or overexert oneself.

  7. 07

    business end

    The part of an object (chiefly a tool or weapon) that is physically used for its operation, rather than some other part such as the part by which it is held.

  8. 08

    come thick and fast

    To arrive rapidly in large groups.

Last updated August 10, 2026