fine

FYN/faɪn/

Adjectivefiner, finest

Noun pluralfines

Verbfines, fining, fined

33 meanings of fine

Practice

1
adjectivecolloquial
Good enough or okay for what is needed.
The soup was a little cold, but it tasted fine.
My old phone is fine, so I don't need a new one.
UsageFine with me (or fine by me) means you agree or say yes.
Similarokay, ok
Oppositeunacceptable, unsatisfactory
Note
2
high qualityadjective
Very good and well made, often with careful and skilled work.
They served us a fine meal at the restaurant.
He owns a collection of fine wines.
UsageFine wine is very good wine. But the wine is fine usually means it is just OK.
Similarexcellent, exquisite, superb, choice
Oppositepoor, inferior, shoddy, coarse
Note
3
money penaltynouncountable
Money you must pay as a punishment for breaking a rule or law.
Like losing some of your allowance because you broke a rule.
He had to pay a fine for parking in the wrong place.
The library charges a small fine for late books.
UsageSay pay a fine or get a fine for parking.
Similarpenalty, ticket, forfeit
4
adverb
In a good or pleasant way.
The two of them get along fine.
Everything went fine at the meeting.
UsageSay I'm doing fine or it works fine.
Similarokay, alright
Oppositebadly, poorly
5
verbtransitive
To make someone pay money as a punishment.
Like a referee making a player pay for breaking the rules.
The judge can fine drivers who break the law.
They fined her fifty dollars for littering.
UsageSay he was fined $100 for parking there.
Similarpenalize, punish, sanction, charge, ticket
6
not coarseadjective
Made of very tiny pieces, or very thin, like fine sand or fine hair.
Like the tiny grains of sugar, much smaller than little stones.
She sifted the flour to make it extra fine.
The beach had soft, fine sand.
Similarthin, slender, delicate
Oppositecoarse, thick
7
adjective
Very small and hard to notice, needing careful attention.
Like the small difference between two shades of blue that look almost the same.
There is a fine difference between the two shades of green.
It can be hard to see the fine line between being brave and being foolish.
UsageA fine line between two things means they are hard to tell apart.
Similarsubtle, delicate, thin
Oppositecrude, broad, obvious
8
reluctant yesinterjection
Used to say okay, often when you don't fully want to.
Like saying yes even when you would rather say no.
Fine, you can borrow my bike.
Fine, let's order pizza instead.
UsageA short Fine. can sound angry.
Similarokay, alright, right, sure
9
adjective
Healthy or feeling okay, though people also say it when they are not okay.
Like putting up a sign that says 'all good here' so people stop asking.
When her mom asked what was wrong, she just said she was fine.
He told everyone he was fine, but he clearly was not.
UsageSay I'm fine. A fine man means a good man.
Similarokay, alright, good, well
10
adjust slightlyverbtransitive
To change something slowly in very small steps.
I often sate at home On evenings, watching how they fined themselves With gradual conscience to a perfect night.
1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora LeighHere, fined themselves means changed slowly, in very small steps, into night.
to fine down a ship's lines, i.e. to diminish her lines gradually
Here, fine down means to make the ship's lines smaller in slow, small steps.
Similaradjust, tweak, refine, calibrate
Note

Less common meanings

11
sunnyadjective
Sunny and dry, without any rain.
We hope it stays fine for the picnic.
It was a fine day, so we walked to the park.
Similarsunny, fair, clear, bright, dry
Oppositewet, rainy, stormy, dull
12
attractiveadjectivecolloquial
Very good-looking and attractive.
Wow, that actor is so fine.
She looked fine in her new dress, and everyone turned to stare.
Similarhot, gorgeous, attractive, sexy
Oppositeugly, unattractive
13
bad (ironic)adjectiveironic
Said in a joking way to mean the opposite, that something is really bad.
Like saying "great" right after you spill your drink: you mean the opposite.
This is a fine mess you've gotten us into.
Well, that's a fine way to treat a friend.
Similarnice, pretty, great, lovely
Note
14
pure metaladjective
Used to tell how much pure metal, like gold or silver, something contains.
Like saying how much real fruit is in a juice drink.
This coin is made of fine gold.
The ring is stamped to show how fine the silver is.
Similarpure, unalloyed, refined
Oppositeimpure, alloyed
Note
15
noun
Very small bits or particles of a material.
Wash the gravel first so the fines do not clog the drain.
Too many fines in the ground coffee can make it taste bitter.
Similardust, silt, powder
Note
16
SayFEE-nayUS/ˈfineɪ/UK/ˈfiːneɪ/
end (music)nouncountable
In music, a word written in the music to show where the piece ends.
Like a 'stop here' sign drawn on a map.
After the repeat, the pianist stopped at the fine halfway down the page.
When you reach the fine, stop playing even if more notes follow.
Note
17
filter (drinks)verbtransitive
To make wine or beer clear by removing the tiny bits floating in it.
Like pouring muddy water through a cloth so it comes out clear.
Winemakers fine the wine before putting it into bottles.
They fined the beer to make it clear and bright.
Similarclarify, clear, filter
18
purifyverbtransitive
To make something purer, smoother, or made of smaller bits.
Like filtering muddy water until it looks clear.
Glassmakers fine the melted glass to get rid of tiny bubbles.
Hard training had fined down his face and arms.
Similarrefine, purify
Oppositecoarsen
Note
19
cricket angleadjective
In cricket, a fielding spot just behind the batter, near the line between the wickets.
Like standing just off to one side instead of straight behind.
The fielder stood at a fine angle behind the wicketkeeper.
The ball raced past the fielder at fine leg for four runs.
Oppositesquare
Note
20
adjective
A quality grade for collected items that is better than good but below the best.
21
verbrare
To pay a fine, money that you must give to someone in power.
Men fined for the king's good will; or that he would remit his anger; women fined for leave to marry.
1818, Henry Hallam, View of the State of Europe during the Middle AgesHere, fined means paid money to the king, as a penalty or to get a favor.
22
noun
A good-quality French brandy.
23
adverb
In pool, hitting just the edge of the other ball, so it goes off at a sharp angle.
24
adjectiveobsolete
Too fancy, with too many decorations.
25
adverbdated
In a delicate or elegant way.
26
verbdated
To slowly get smaller or thinner.
27
nounobsolete
Money a renter pays at the start so the rent after that is very low.
28
noun
A drink you must have as a penalty in a drinking game.
29
verbobsolete
To end or stop.
30
verbobsolete
To make something stop.
31
nounobsolete
The end of something.
Is this the fine of his fines?
c. 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”
32
noun
An old legal deal settling who owns land or what rent is paid.
33
nounUK
Money paid to get a special right, such as the right to rent land.

More uses

fine artspainting, sculpture, music and other arts made for beauty

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of fine apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 4, 6–15, 17–19

From Old French fin meaning 'fine' or 'exact', probably from Latin words for 'to finish' or 'end'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

English fine derives from Old French fin, meaning fine or exact. en.wiktionary.org
Its probable earlier sources are Latin words meaning to finish or end. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 3, 5

It goes back to the Medieval Latin word fīnis, which meant a payment or a tax. That word passed into Old French as fin.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

English fine, meaning a monetary penalty, ultimately derives from Medieval Latin fīnis. en.wiktionary.org
Medieval Latin fīnis meant a payment or tax. en.wiktionary.org
Medieval Latin fīnis passed into Old French as fin. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 16

From Italian fine, meaning 'end'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

English fine in the musical sense comes from Italian fine, meaning 'end'. en.wiktionary.org