Definition

Adverb 1. In a thick manner; with great density or viscosity: Describes something done with a substantial depth, closeness of parts, or a dense consistency. 2. In quick and close succession: Describes events or items occurring rapidly one after another. 3. In a concentrated or densely packed manner: Describes a high density of objects or people in a given space. 4. With poor articulation; indistinctly: Describes speech that is unclear, often as if the tongue is heavy or impeded.

Usage and Examples

• The painter applied the oil paint thickly to create texture on the canvas.
• Snow fell thickly, quickly covering the ground in a deep white blanket.
• Complaints came thickly after the product launch, overwhelming the customer service team.
• The forest was thickly wooded, making it difficult to walk through.
• The area near the river is thickly populated with several families living on each street.
• After the dental procedure, his mouth was numb and he spoke thickly.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Fast and thick": An idiomatic pairing often used with "come" to emphasize the rapid, successive occurrence of things, usually negative events.
• The adverb can describe both physical properties (e.g., ) and abstract densities (e.g., ).

Variants and Related Words

• Thick (adjective): Having a large distance between opposite surfaces; dense; closely packed.
• Thicken (verb): To make or become thick or thicker.
• Thickness (noun): The state or quality of being thick.

Synonyms

• Densely: In a closely compacted manner.
• Heavily: To a great degree; in large amounts.
• Indistinctly: In a way that is not clear.
• Quickly: At a fast speed; rapidly.

Antonyms

• Thinly: In a thin manner; sparsely.
• Clearly: In a clear manner; distinctly.
• Slowly: At a low speed; not quickly.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• Thickly settled: (Formal/Legal) Describing an area with a high concentration of buildings or residents.
• Thickly forested: Covered with dense growth of trees and underbrush.
• Thickly sliced: Cut into pieces with considerable depth.
• Grow thickly: (For plants) To grow in a dense, crowded manner.

Adverb

1. in quick succession
   • misfortunes come fast and thick
2. with thickness; in a thick manner
   • spread 1/4 lb softened margarine or cooking fat fairly thickly all over the surface
   • we were visiting a small, thickly walled and lovely town with straggling outskirt
3. with a thick consistency
   • the blood was flowing thick
4. in a concentrated manner
   • old houses are often so densely packed that perhaps three or four have to be demolished for every new one built
   • a thickly populated area
5. spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
   • after a few drinks he was beginning to speak thickly