What does "thick" mean?

1. (wide or deep) having a large distance between two sides; not thin. 2. (viscous or heavy) describing a liquid that does not flow easily. 3. (dense or crowded) having many things or people close together. 4. (stupid) not quick to learn or understand things. 5. (very friendly) being very close or friendly with someone. 6. (the most active part) the middle of a busy or dangerous situation.

thick — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01wide or deep

A2 · Elementary

adj. having a large distance between two sides; not thin.

adj. having a relatively great distance between opposite sides or surfaces.

“The walls of the old castle are very thick to keep the heat inside.”

“The architect specified thick glass panels for the storefront to ensure both thermal insulation and security against potential break-ins.”

Synonyms

wide broad deep

Antonyms

thin

02viscous or heavy

B1 · Intermediate

adj. describing a liquid that does not flow easily.

adj. having a semi-solid or viscous consistency; resistant to flow.

“The soup was so thick that the spoon could almost stand up in it.”

“The mechanic drained the thick, blackened oil from the engine, noting that the vehicle had clearly missed several scheduled services.”

Synonyms

viscous heavy dense

Antonyms

runny watery

03dense or crowded

B1 · Intermediate

adj. having many things or people close together.

adj. growing or appearing in close proximity; densely packed.

“We had a hard time walking through the thick forest.”

“A thick fog descended over the valley, reducing visibility to less than ten metres and forcing the airport to cancel all morning flights.”

Synonyms

dense crowded packed

Antonyms

sparse thin

04stupid

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

adj. not quick to learn or understand things.

adj. slow to learn or understand; lacking intelligence.

“I felt a bit thick when I couldn't solve the simple puzzle.”

“He was tired of being treated as if he were thick just because he spoke with a heavy regional accent.”

Synonyms

stupid dim slow

Antonyms

clever bright

05very friendly

C1 · Advanced Informal

adj. being very close or friendly with someone.

adj. intimately associated or very friendly; often used in the idiom 'thick as thieves'.

“Those two have been thick as thieves since they started primary school.”

“The two political rivals were suddenly thick as thieves, leading many to suspect a secret deal had been struck behind closed doors.”

Synonyms

close intimate friendly

Antonyms

distant estranged

06the most active part

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. the middle of a busy or dangerous situation.

n. the most active, intense, or crowded part of a situation or place.

“The reporter was right in the thick of the action during the protest.”

“In the thick of the negotiations, the lead diplomat remained remarkably calm despite the mounting pressure from both sides.”

Synonyms

middle centre heart

Antonyms

periphery edge

From Middle English thikke, from Old English þicce (“thick, dense”), from Proto-West Germanic þikkwī, from Proto-Germanic þekuz (“thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *tégus (“thick”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian sjok, tjok, tjuk, tschok (“thick”), Saterland Frisian tjuk (“thick”), West Frisian dik, tuuk (“thick”), Central Franconian deck (“thick”), Cimbrian dikh, dikhe (“thick”), Dutch dik (“thick”), German dick (“thick”), Luxembourgish déck (“thick”), Yiddish דיק (dik, “thick”), Danish tyk (“thick”), Elfdalian tiokk (“thick”), Faroese tjúkkur (“thick”), Icelandic þykkur (“thick”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk tjukk, tykk (“thick”), Scanian tjykker (“thick”), Swedish tjock (“thick”); also Cornish and Welsh tew (“thick”), Irish tiubh, tiugh (“thick”), Manx çhiu (“thick”), Scottish Gaelic tiugh (“thick”).

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

NOUN

thicket(C1)

thickness(B1)

ADJECTIVE

thick(A2)

ADVERB

thickly(B2)

deep leg