dim

CEFRB1

/dɪm/

adjective · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Not bright or clear.

  2. 02

    verb

    To make a light less bright.

Examples

  • We saw a dim light in the darkness.

  • We saw a dim light in the distance.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Indistinct, hazy or unclear.

  2. Not smart or intelligent.

  3. Not bright or colorful.

More examples

In context

  • He may be a bit dim, but he's not entirely stupid.

  • His vision grew dimmer as he aged.

  • The lighting was too dim for me to make out his facial features.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank lighting in the restaurant created a romantic atmosphere.

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Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle English dim, dym, from Old English dim, dimm (“dim, dark, gloomy; wretched, grievous, sad, unhappy”), from Proto-West Germanic *dimm, from Proto-Germanic *dimmaz (“dark”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰem- (“to whisk, smoke; obscure”). Compare Faroese dimmur (“dark”), Icelandic dimmur (“dark”) and dimma (“darkness”).