dim

[dim] /dɪm/

adjective, dimmer, dimmest.

not bright; obscure from lack of light or emitted light:

a dim room; a dim flashlight.

not seen clearly or in detail; indistinct:

a dim object in the distance.

not clear to the mind; vague:

a dim idea.

not brilliant; dull in luster:

a dim color.

not clear or distinct to the senses; faint:

a dim sound.

not seeing clearly:

eyes dim with tears.

tending to be unfavorable; not likely to happen, succeed, be favorable, etc.:

a dim chance of winning.

not understanding clearly.

rather stupid; dim-witted.

verb (used with object), dimmed, dimming.

10.

to make dim or dimmer.

11.

to switch (the headlights of a vehicle) from the high to the low beam.

verb (used without object), dimmed, dimming.

12.

to become or grow dim or dimmer.

Verb phrases

13.

dim out, (in wartime) to reduce the night illumination of (a city, ship, etc.) to make it less visible from the air or sea, as a protection from enemy aircraft or ships.

Idioms

14.

take a dim view of, to regard with disapproval, skepticism, or dismay:

Her mother takes a dim view of her choice of friends.

Origin

before 1000; Middle English, Old English dim(me), cognate with Old Frisian dim, Old Norse dimmr

Related forms

dimly, adverb

dimmable, adjective

dimness, noun

undim, adjective

undimly, adverb

undimmed, adjective

Synonyms

1. See dark. 3. unclear, faint, indefinite, indistinct, fuzzy, hazy. 10. darken, cloud. 12. dull, fade.

dim.¹

(in prescriptions) one-half.

Origin

< Latin dīmidius

dim.²

dimension.

diminish.

diminuendo.

diminutive.

Examples from the web for dim

First, the economic outlook has continued to dim for college graduates.
Both cones and rods participate in dark adaptation, slowly increasing their sensitivity to light in a dim environment.
Beyond that welcome, the bones of six million people line the dim tunnels.
So often it slips past everyone as a useful thing to do or know, and oversight from individual advisors can be pretty dim.
These plate-size organs allow a squid to see dim outlines of other animals.
Simple to prepare, and a typical end to a dim sum meal, but the key is freshness of the greens.
Switching back to clear, once inside a dim room, took a little longer: eight minutes.
But the gas and dust cloud are dim and should be viewed through binoculars.
Prospects for winning even two more games this year seem dim.
But there are ways to dim our influential lights, the scientists say.

British Dictionary definitions for dim

dim

/dɪm/

adjective dimmer, dimmest

badly illuminated: a dim room

not clearly seen; indistinct; faint: a dim shape

having weak or indistinct vision: eyes dim with tears

lacking in understanding; mentally dull

not clear in the mind; obscure: a dim memory

lacking in brilliance, brightness, or lustre: a dim colour

tending to be unfavourable; gloomy or disapproving (esp in the phrase take a dim view)

verb dims, dimming, dimmed

to become or cause to become dim

(transitive) to cause to seem less bright, as by comparison

10.

(US & Canadian) (transitive) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam Also called (in Britain and certain other countries) dip

Derived Forms

dimly, adverb
dimness, noun

Word Origin

Old English dimm; related to Old Norse dimmr gloomy, dark

Word Origin and History for dim

adj.

Old English dimm "dark, gloomy, obscure," from Proto-Germanic *dimbaz (cf. Old Norse dimmr, Old Frisian dim, Old High German timber "dark, black, somber"). Not known outside Germanic. Slang sense of "stupid" is from 1892. Related: Dimly; dimness.

c.1200, perhaps in Old English, from dim (adj.). Related: Dimmed; dimming.

dim in Medicine

dim. abbr.
Latin dimidius (half)

Slang definitions & phrases for dim

dim

adjective

Stupid; uncomprehending: Anybody who pays to watch these teams has to be considered just a bit dim (1892+)

dim in Technology

DIM statement

Related Abbreviations for dim

dim.

dimension
diminished
diminuendo
diminutive

Idioms and Phrases with dim

dim

see: take a dim view