dim
/dim/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Lacking brightness or clarity; not bright or distinct: Describes light that is weak or an image, sound, or memory that is not clear or sharp.
- Not clearly perceived or understood; vague: Describes ideas, recollections, or prospects that are unclear or unpromising.
- (Informal) Slow to understand; not intelligent: Describes a person who is perceived as unintelligent or obtuse.
Verb:
- To make or become less bright or distinct: The act of reducing the intensity of light or the clarity of something.
- To make or become less vivid, strong, or clear: The act of causing something to fade or lose its sharpness over time.
Usage and Examples
Adjective:
- The room was lit only by the dim glow of a candle. (Describing faint light)
- He had only a dim memory of the event from his childhood. (Describing an unclear recollection)
- The economic outlook for the region is dim. (Describing unpromising prospects)
- (Informal) The teacher thought the student was a bit dim. (Describing a person as slow to understand)
Verb:
- Please dim the lights for the presentation. (To make lights less bright)
- The stars dimmed as the sun began to rise. (To become less bright)
- Over the years, the pain of the loss dimmed. (To become less intense or vivid)
Advanced Usage
"to take a dim view of (something)": To disapprove of or regard something unfavorably.
- The principal takes a dim view of students using phones in class.
"dim and distant": Used to describe a time in the past that seems very long ago and unclear.
- I have only dim and distant memories of my great-grandfather.
Variants and Related Words
- Dimly (adverb): In a dim manner; faintly or vaguely.
- The path was dimly lit.
- Dimness (noun): The state or quality of being dim.
- The dimness of the room made it hard to read.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Faint, vague, gloomy, dull, subdued, weak, indistinct, obscure.
- Verb: Fade, dull, obscure, darken, cloud.
Antonyms
- Adjective: Bright, brilliant, clear, distinct, sharp, intelligent.
- Verb: Brighten, illuminate, intensify, clarify.
Phrasal Verbs / Related Verb Uses
- Dim down: To reduce the brightness of lights.
- Could you dim down the overhead lights a little?
- Dim out: To extinguish or obscure lights, especially as a blackout measure.
- During the war, cities had to dim out all windows at night.
Adjective
- slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
- so dense he never understands anything I say to him
- never met anyone quite so dim
- although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick- Thackeray
- dumb officials make some really dumb decisions
- he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse
- worked with the slow students
- offering little or no hope
- the future looked black
- prospects were bleak
- Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult- J.M.Synge
- took a dim view of things
- made dim or less bright
- the dimmed houselights brought a hush of anticipation
- dimmed headlights
- we like dimmed lights when we have dinner
- lacking clarity or distinctness
- a dim figure in the distance
- only a faint recollection
- shadowy figures in the gloom
- saw a vague outline of a building through the fog
- a few wispy memories of childhood
- lacking in light; not bright or harsh
- a dim light beside the bed
- subdued lights and soft music
Verb
- become vague or indistinct
- The distinction between the two theories blurred
- make dim by comparison or conceal
- make dim or lusterless
- Time had dimmed the silver
- become dim or lusterless
- the lights dimmed and the curtain rose
- switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam