Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Extremely thin; as thin as a wafer: Describing something with a very small thickness, often to the point of being delicate or fragile, comparable to the thinness of a crisp, flat wafer (a type of thin, light biscuit or cracker).

2. Adverb:

   • In an extremely thin manner; sliced or cut to a very small thickness: Describes the action of making something, or the resulting state of something, having an exceptionally thin form.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The chef used wafer-thin slices of cucumber to garnish the dish.
  • The ancient manuscript was written on wafer-thin parchment.
  • They won the election by a wafer-thin margin of just ten votes.

• Adverb:

  • Slice the potatoes wafer-thin for the perfect crispy chips.
  • The gold was hammered wafer-thin.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use for Margins: Often used figuratively to describe a very small difference or advantage, such as in votes, profits, or measurements.
  • The company's wafer-thin profit margin worried the investors.
  • The bill passed with wafer-thin support in the senate.

Variants and Related Words

• Paper-thin (adj): Another common idiom for describing something extremely thin.
  • The walls in the apartment were paper-thin.
• Razor-thin (adj): Used similarly to 'wafer-thin', especially for describing very small margins or differences.
  • The race resulted in a razor-thin victory.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Paper-thin, gossamer, fine, flimsy, sheer.
• Adverb: Thinly, finely.

Related Idioms

• By a hair's breadth: An idiom for a very narrow margin, similar to the figurative use of 'wafer-thin'.
  • He avoided the accident by a hair's breadth.
• On a knife-edge: Describing a situation of extreme closeness or uncertainty.
  • The tense negotiations were on a knife-edge.

Adverb

1. very thin
   • it was cut wafer-thin

Adjective

1. very thin
   • wafer-thin sheets of metal