Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state or quality of having little thickness or depth: "thinness" refers to the property of an object or material having a small distance between its opposite surfaces.
   • The state of having little body fat; leanness: "thinness" describes a physical condition of a person or animal characterized by a lack of flesh or fat.
   • A lack of density or viscosity; weakness or poor consistency: "thinness" can refer to a liquid's lack of thickness or richness, or the sparse, scattered nature of something.
   • Fineness or slenderness: "thinness" can denote the quality of being very narrow or fine in diameter.

Examples of Usage

• Referring to physical dimension:
  • The thinness of the paper made it easy to tear.
  • Engineers were concerned about the thinness of the metal sheet.
• Referring to body composition:
  • Her thinness was a result of her strict diet and exercise regimen.
  • The doctor noted the patient's extreme thinness.
• Referring to consistency or density:
  • The chef criticized the thinness of the sauce.
  • The thinness of the forest in that area allows more sunlight to reach the ground.
• Referring to fineness:
  • The thinness of the thread made it perfect for delicate embroidery.

Advanced Usage

• "to a thinness": to the point of being thin.
  • The glass was blown to a remarkable thinness.
• Conceptual use for abstract qualities: Can describe a lack of substance or depth in non-physical contexts.
  • The thinness of his argument was apparent to everyone in the debate. (Here, it means the argument was weak or insubstantial.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thin (adj): having little thickness or depth; not fat.
  • She cut the vegetables into thin slices.
• Thinly (adv): in a thin manner.
  • Spread the butter thinly on the toast.
• Thin (verb): to make or become thin.
  • The crowd began to thin after the concert ended.

Synonyms

• Slenderness: the quality of being thin in an attractive way.
• Fineness: the quality of being very thin or narrow.
• Sparseness: the quality of being thinly dispersed or scattered.
• Leanness: the state of having little body fat.
• Tenuity: formal term for thinness, especially of a fluid, object, or argument.

Antonyms

• Thickness: the distance between opposite surfaces of an object.
• Fatness: the state of having much body fat.
• Density: the degree of compactness of a substance.
• Viscosity: the state of being thick, sticky, and semifluid in consistency.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Wear thin: to become less effective or acceptable over time.
  • His excuses are starting to wear thin.
• On thin ice: in a risky or dangerous situation.
  • By lying to his boss, he was on very thin ice.
• Thin air: out of nowhere, from an unknown source.
  • The money seemed to appear out of thin air.
• The thin end of the wedge: a small, seemingly unimportant action that is the start of a major, often negative, development.
  • They saw the new fee as the thin end of the wedge.

Noun

1. a consistency of low viscosity
   • he disliked the thinness of the soup
2. the property of being scanty or scattered; lacking denseness
3. the property of being very narrow or thin
   • he marvelled at the fineness of her hair
4. the property of having little body fat
5. relatively small dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width
   • the tenuity of a hair
   • the thinness of a rope