# thick

Pronunciation: say "THIK" /θɪk/

## Adjective

1. Having a relatively large distance between opposite surfaces or sides, or measuring a specified distance between them.
   - Simple: Having a large distance between opposite sides, or measuring a stated distance between them.
   - _A thick slab of oak formed the tabletop._
   - _Cut the bread into thicker slices for the sandwiches._
2. Having a viscous consistency, so that it flows slowly rather than running freely.
   - Simple: Flowing slowly, like honey or syrup, not thin and watery.
   - _The gravy turned thick after a few minutes on the stove._
   - _Cold weather makes motor oil thicker and harder to pump._
3. Densely crowded or packed together, with the individual parts close to one another.
   - Simple: Growing or standing very close together, with little space in between.
   - _Thick underbrush slowed the hikers to a crawl._
   - _The crowd grew thicker as the parade approached._
4. Impenetrable to sight; too dense for the eye to see through.
   - Simple: Hard to see through, like heavy fog or smoke.
   - _Thick mist hung over the harbor until noon._
   - _The divers lost sight of each other in the thick, silty water._
8. Of an accent: strongly marked and clearly showing the speaker's nationality or place of origin, sometimes so heavy that the speech is hard to understand.
   - Simple: (of an accent) very strong and easy to notice, sometimes so strong that the person is hard to understand.
   - _Decades in California never softened his thick Brooklyn accent._
   - _The tour guide spoke English with a thick French accent._
9. Stupid; mentally slow. Used informally, typically as an insult. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Not smart, or slow to understand. An unkind, informal word.
   - _He's not thick, he just wasn't paying attention._
   - _I must be a bit thick, because I read the instructions twice and still got it wrong._
6. Deep, intense, or profound in degree or effect.
   - Simple: Very strong or deep, so that you feel it all around you.
   - _A thick gloom settled over the camp after the defeat._
   - _The tension in the courtroom was thick enough to touch._
7. Abounding in number; occurring or gathered in great quantity.
   - Simple: Present in very large numbers, full of many things or people.
   - _The woods were thick with deer that fall._
   - _The harbor was thick with sailboats during the regatta._
10. Heavy and broad in build; stocky and solid.
   - Simple: Having a wide, strong, heavy body or build.
   - _The boxer's thick arms absorbed blow after blow._
   - _He was a thick, powerful man who seemed to fill the doorway._
11. Curvy and voluptuous, especially in having large hips; generally used as a term of appreciation. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Having a curvy body with big hips, said as a compliment.
   - _Fans flooded the comments to say the dancer looked thick in her new video._
   - _Magazines have slowly made room for thick models on their covers._
12. Close, friendly, or intimate with someone; on very familiar terms. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Very friendly with someone and spending a lot of time together.
   - _By the end of the trip, the two interns were thick as thieves._
   - _The senator was always thick with the biggest donors in the state._
15. Richly detailed and expansive; offering real substance rather than a quick sketch.
   - Simple: Full of detail and covering a subject deeply.
   - _The memoir offers a thick account of postwar Vienna, down to the price of bread._
   - _Critics admired the novel's thick rendering of small-town gossip and ritual._

## Noun

5. The most active, intense, or densest part of something, such as a battle, a crowd, or a busy stretch of work.
   - Simple: The busiest or most active part of something, where the most is happening.
   - _Reporters pushed into the thick of the protest to reach the organizers._
   - _She does her best work in the thick of campaign season._

## Adverb

13. In a dense, heavy, or closely packed manner; so as to form a deep or concentrated layer or mass.
   - Simple: In a heavy way, or with many things close together.
   - _He spread the mortar thick between the bricks._
   - _Dust lay thick on every shelf in the abandoned shop._
14. Frequently or numerously; in rapid succession or great quantity.
   - Simple: In large numbers or very often, one after another.
   - _Complaints came thick and fast after the price increase._
   - _Arrows flew thick around the retreating soldiers._

## Adjective

16. Troublesome or unreasonable; going beyond what is fair or acceptable. *(dated, UK)*
   - Simple: Not fair, or asking too much of someone.
   - _Expecting the staff to work the bank holiday unpaid is a bit thick._
   - _He thought it rather thick that the landlord raised the rent twice in one year._

## Verb

17. To become thick or dense, or to make something so; to thicken. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To become thicker, or to make something thicker.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A stupid or slow-witted person; a fool.
- (noun) A thicket; an area of dense bushes, undergrowth, or small trees.

## Origin

Proto-Indo-European *tégus ("thick") led to Proto-Germanic *þekuz and then to Old English þicce ("thick, dense"), which became Middle English thikke. German dick, Dutch dik and Swedish tjock are related, and so is Welsh tew.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/thick (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).