1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
a dim, windowless room in the basement of the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dulled
lacking a surface luster or gloss
over time, exposure to ultraviolet light will make bright pigments turn dim
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3
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
have only a dim knowledge of the subject
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4
as in slow
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
our dog is kind of dim, but very sweet-natured
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as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the storm clouds dimmed our view of the city from the airplane
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dim
Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2026
Beyond the rink, any light on life was kept strategically dim so as not to distract from puck’s divine purpose.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Ryan Gosling stars as a middle-school science teacher named Ryland Grace who is chosen to be launched into space in hopes of reversing the sun’s dimming.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Adjective
The human brain uses just 20 watts—less than a dim lightbulb.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2026
Beyond the rink, any light on life was kept strategically dim so as not to distract from puck’s divine purpose.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Ryan Gosling stars as neurotic and brilliant schoolteacher Ryland Grace, who is recruited by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) to help solve why the sun is dimming.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Ryan Gosling stars as a middle-school science teacher named Ryland Grace who is chosen to be launched into space in hopes of reversing the sun’s dimming.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim
Adjective
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Nor is this some vague or emotional objection.—
Kelsey Maurine Brickl,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
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With such a sheer volume of work coming out, the anime market can get crowded, and its easy for these works to bleed together into a vague blob of gag comedies, action-adventure shows, and sickly-sweet romances.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, businesses hired workers at their slowest pace since 2011, excluding the onset of the pandemic in 2020.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
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The area’s large tourist population contributes a constant volume of unfamiliar drivers to already heavily congested roads, with traffic patterns that shift significantly between peak tourist season and the summer months but never truly slow to manageable levels on the area’s major corridors.—
Anton Lucanus
April 3,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rise of high-frequency trading convinced us that everything is priced in instantly, obscuring pockets of friction.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Sheets appear to be covering the front cockpit window, obscuring what would normally be the pilots’ forward view.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Hochheiser, who could not return to his condo due to a mold infestation, said one dull day melted into another at Villa Rosa III.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Found Sound is a story about two kids, Felix and Marigold, and a seemingly dull summer vacation that’s upended when the kids find an old wooden box that says OPEN ME.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Like Colleen, Giurgis’ adaptation is allergic to the faintest traces of sincerity or urgency.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Winnipeg Jets came to Ball Arena and kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 victory against the league-leading Avalanche.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Rock and pop are often unsophisticated, or downright dumb.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Urban infrastructure, after all, is still pretty dumb—forcing robotaxis to be designed around transit systems that are decades old.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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