Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Having a relatively great distance between opposite surfaces; not thin: This is the primary meaning, describing the dimension of an object.
   • Dense in consistency; not fluid: Used to describe liquids, gases, or substances that are viscous or concentrated.
   • Densely filled or covered; abundant: Describes a large number of things or people closely packed together.
   • (Of a voice or sound) Not clear; hoarse or indistinct: Often due to emotion or illness.
   • (Informal) Stupid or slow to understand: A colloquial and sometimes offensive usage.
   • (Informal, of people) Very friendly or intimate: Used to describe a close relationship.

2. Noun:

   • The most active or intense part of something: The central or most crowded area.
   • The part of something that is broadest or most substantial.

3. Adverb:

   • In a thick way; densely or closely: Describes how something is arranged or occurs.
   • So as to be thick; with a thick consistency.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • The book has a thick cover. (Describing physical dimension)
  • She poured thick syrup on her pancakes. (Describing consistency)
  • We walked through a thick forest. (Describing dense growth)
  • His voice was thick with emotion. (Describing an indistinct sound)
  • That was a thick thing to say. (Informal: describing stupidity)
  • They've been thick friends since childhood. (Informal: describing closeness)

• Noun:

  • He was in the thick of the battle. (The most intense part)
  • She prefers the thick of the city. (The busiest, most central part)

• Adverb:

  • The snow was falling thick and fast. (In quick, dense succession)
  • The paint was applied too thick. (With a thick consistency)

Advanced Usage

• "thick with": Full of or abounding in something.
  • The air was thick with tension.
• "a bit thick" (British, informal): Unreasonable or unfair.
  • Charging that much is a bit thick.
• "thick as thieves" (idiomatic): Extremely close and friendly, often secretively.
  • Those two are as thick as thieves.

Variants and Related Words

• Thicken (verb): To make or become thick or thicker.
  • Add flour to thicken the sauce.
• Thickly (adverb): In a thick manner.
  • The trees grew thickly together.
• Thickness (noun): The state or quality of being thick; a layer of material.
  • Measure the thickness of the ice.
• Thickset (adjective): Having a short, broad, and solid body build.
  • He was a thickset man.

Synonyms

• Adjective (for dimension): Broad, wide, chunky, stout.
• Adjective (for consistency): Dense, viscous, heavy, concentrated.
• Adjective (for density): Dense, impenetrable, packed, crowded.
• Adjective (informal, for stupid): Dense, dim, slow, obtuse.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases

• Lay it on thick (idiom): To exaggerate praise, flattery, or blame.
  • He was laying it on thick to get the promotion.
• Thick and fast: In rapid and plentiful succession.
  • The questions came thick and fast.

Related Idioms

• Through thick and thin: Under all circumstances, no matter how difficult.
  • They stayed friends through thick and thin.
• Blood is thicker than water: Family relationships are the most important and enduring.
  • She helped her brother, proving that blood is thicker than water.
• Thick-skinned: Not easily offended or upset by criticism.
  • Politicians need to be thick-skinned.

Adjective

1. abounding; having a lot of
   • the top was thick with dust
2. (used informally) stupid
3. (used informally) associated on close terms
   • a close friend
   • the bartender was chummy with the regular customers
   • the two were thick as thieves for months
4. (of darkness) very intense
   • thick night
   • thick darkness
   • a face in deep shadow
   • deep night
5. hard to pass through because of dense growth
   • dense vegetation
   • thick woods
6. having a short and solid form or stature
   • a wrestler of compact build
   • he was tall and heavyset
   • stocky legs
   • a thickset young man
7. spoken as if with a thick tongue
   • the thick speech of a drunkard
   • his words were slurred
8. relatively dense in consistency
   • thick cream
   • thick soup
   • thick smoke
   • thick fog
9. having component parts closely crowded together
   • a compact shopping center
   • a dense population
   • thick crowds
   • a thick forest
   • thick hair
10. not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
    • an inch thick
    • a thick board
    • a thick sandwich
    • spread a thick layer of butter
    • thick coating of dust
    • thick warm blankets

Noun

1. the location of something surrounded by other things
   • in the midst of the crowd

Adverb

1. in quick succession
   • misfortunes come fast and thick
2. with a thick consistency
   • the blood was flowing thick