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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Thin Meaning, Usage, and Common Mistakes (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：having little thickness (thin)

thin 🔊

/θɪn/

adj.

Not thick; having little space between two surfaces.

Thin slice of bread held up to sunlight showing transparency

having little thickness 🔊

➕

/ˈhævɪŋ ˈlɪtl ˈθɪknəs/

adj.

Refers to an object or material with a small distance between its two opposite surfaces, often making it flexible or fragile.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Old English 'þynne' from Proto-Germanic *þunnuz, meaning narrow or slender.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a thin, fragile sheet of ice that cracks when touched — that's 'thin'.

📖 Example

The pages of this old book are so thin that you can almost see through them. 🔊 The pages of this old book are so thin that you can almost see through them.

🔗 Collocations

thin layer – a layer of small thickness

thin slice – a slice that is not thick

thin line – a line that is narrow in width

🔄 Synonyms

slender (adj.) – gracefully thin, often used for objects or body parts

narrow (adj.) – having a small width compared to length

fine (adj.) – very thin in diameter or texture

🚫 Antonyms

thick (adj.) – having a large distance between opposite surfaces

bulky (adj.) – taking up a lot of space because of thickness

wide (adj.) – measuring a large distance from side to side

🌱 Derivatives

thinly (adv.) – in a thin manner

thinness (n.) – the quality of being thin

thinner (n./adj.) – comparative of thin; a substance used to make something thinner

📖 Cultural Story

Thin originates from Proto-Germanic *þunnuz, also source of German 'dünn' and Dutch 'dun'. It has kept its core meaning of 'little thickness' for over a thousand years, common in everyday descriptions of objects, people, and liquids.

Meaning 2：lean (body) (thin)

thin 🔊

/θɪn/

adj.

Having little body fat; not fat.

Slender young woman in activewear with lean physique in park

lean (body) 🔊

➕

/liːn (ˈbɒdi)/

adj.

Describes a person or animal with little body fat, often appearing slender or slim.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

After his months of training for the marathon, he looked much healthier but also noticeably thinner. 🔊 After his months of training for the marathon, he looked much healthier but also noticeably thinner.

🔗 Collocations

thin build – a body structure that is naturally slim

thin legs – legs that have little flesh or fat

become thin – to lose weight and become slimmer

🔄 Synonyms

slim (adj.) – attractively thin, especially of the body

slender (adj.) – gracefully thin, often used for a person's figure

skinny (adj.) – very thin, sometimes in an unattractive way

🚫 Antonyms

fat (adj.) – having a large amount of body fat

plump (adj.) – slightly fat in a pleasant way

overweight (adj.) – having more body weight than is considered healthy

🌱 Derivatives

thinly (adv.) – in a thin manner

thinness (n.) – the quality of being thin

thinner (n./adj.) – comparative of thin; a substance used to make something thinner

Meaning 3：watery (liquid) (thin)

thin 🔊

/θɪn/

adj.

A liquid that flows easily because it has a lot of water and not much solid in it.

watery (liquid) 🔊

➕

/ˈwɔːtəri (ˈlɪkwɪd)/

adj.

Describes a liquid that has a low concentration of solids, making it flow easily, like soup with too much water.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The soup was too thin and needed more vegetables to give it a better texture. 🔊 The soup was too thin and needed more vegetables to give it a better texture.

🔗 Collocations

thin soup – soup that has a watery consistency

thin paint – paint that has been diluted with water or thinner

thin sauce – sauce that runs easily because it contains little thickener

🔄 Synonyms

watery (adj.) – containing too much water, lacking substance

dilute (adj.) – made weaker by adding water or another solvent

runny (adj.) – flowing easily, not thick or sticky

🚫 Antonyms

thick (adj.) – having a relatively dense consistency that does not flow easily

viscous (adj.) – having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid

🌱 Derivatives

thinly (adv.) – in a thin manner

thinness (n.) – the quality of being thin

thinner (n./adj.) – comparative of thin; a substance used to make something thinner