dim.

¹

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) one-half.

dim.

²

abbreviation

1. dimension.

2. diminish.

3. diminuendo.

4. diminutive.

dim

³

[dim]

adjective

dimmer, dimmest 

1. not bright; obscure from lack of light or emitted light.

   a dim room; a dim flashlight.

2. not seen clearly or in detail; indistinct.

   a dim object in the distance.

3. not clear to the mind; vague.

   a dim idea.

   Synonyms: hazy, fuzzy, indistinct, indefinite, faint, unclear

4. not brilliant; dull in luster.

   a dim color.

5. not clear or distinct to the senses; faint.

   a dim sound.

6. not seeing clearly.

   eyes dim with tears.

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

   a dim chance of winning.

8. not understanding clearly.

9. rather stupid; dim-witted.

verb (used with object)

dimmed, dimming 

1. to make dim or dimmer.

   Synonyms: cloud, darken

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

verb (used without object)

dimmed, dimming 

1. to become or grow dim or dimmer.

   Synonyms: fade, dull

verb phrase

1. 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.

dim

/ dɪm /

adjective

1. badly illuminated

   a dim room

2. not clearly seen; indistinct; faint

   a dim shape

3. having weak or indistinct vision

   eyes dim with tears

4. lacking in understanding; mentally dull

5. not clear in the mind; obscure

   a dim memory

6. lacking in brilliance, brightness, or lustre

   a dim colour

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

verb

1. to become or cause to become dim

2. (tr) to cause to seem less bright, as by comparison

3. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): dip. (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam

Other Word Forms

• dimness noun
• dimly adverb
• dimmable adjective
• undim adjective
• undimly adverb
• undimmed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dim¹

From the Latin word dīmidius

Origin of dim²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dim¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

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

see take a dim view.

Synonym Study

See dark.

Example Sentences

Penumbral lunar eclipse – A more subtle occurrence, where the Moon travels through the outer part of Earth's shadow, resulting in a faint dimming.

From BBC

“I don’t want to dim that light on him,” Herbert said.

From Los Angeles Times

By the end of last week hopes of a breakthrough had dimmed.

From BBC

Chris Smith may be a dim bulb, but he’s trying to cross Peacemaker over into the light to burn brighter.

From Salon

What could have been crushing pressure was dimmed by the vision boards — the “mental rehearsal,” as Hollingdale labeled it.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blurred www.thesaurus.com
• cloudy 
• dark 
• dingy 
• dull 
• faint 
• fuzzy 
• gloomy 
• lackluster 
• murky 
• shadowy 
• vague 

When To Use

What does dim mean?

Dim describes something as lacking light or having a weak brightness, as in a dim flashlight or a dim tunnel. Dim also describes things that are unclear, because of poor visibility, a weak understanding, or a more general lack of clarity, as in a dim shape in the distance, a dim noise, or a dim knowledge of math. Dim also describes having weak or poor vision, as in Jane’s eyes were dim with tears. Dim can be used to mean lacking mental ability or having low intelligence. However, this is almost always considered insulting.As a verb, dim means to make something dim or less bright, as in He dimmed the lights. It can also be used to mean to grow dim or dimmer, as in The noise of the engine dimmed as the car drove out of sight. Example: Although the tunnel was dim, the faint candlelight guided the miner back to the surface.