1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
a dim, windowless room in the basement of the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dulled
lacking a surface luster or gloss
over time, exposure to ultraviolet light will make bright pigments turn dim
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3
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
have only a dim knowledge of the subject
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4
as in slow
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
our dog is kind of dim, but very sweet-natured
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as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the storm clouds dimmed our view of the city from the airplane
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dim
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
The lighting is dim and moody, glowing paper lanterns cast a red glow over the space, and there’s Vietnamese pop music playing over the speakers.
—
Mark Dejoy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 June 2026
ABC News,
29 June 2026
Under his watch, Ferrari’s flame looks unlikely to dim.
—
The Editors,
Robb Report,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Adjective
Even as the United States expanded its rule, there always remained a dim sense that an Empire of Liberty was a contradiction.
—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
The lighting is dim and moody, glowing paper lanterns cast a red glow over the space, and there’s Vietnamese pop music playing over the speakers.
—
Mark Dejoy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 June 2026
Verb
Theaters in London’s West End will dim their lights on Wednesday evening in tribute to her.
—
ABC News,
29 June 2026
Under his watch, Ferrari’s flame looks unlikely to dim.
—
The Editors,
Robb Report,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim
Adjective
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She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
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In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.
Adjective
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Besides toning color, this shampoo acts as a gentle clarifier, removing product buildup from the roots and hair that can make your hair appear dull and greasy.
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The practical step is small and dull, which feels about right.
Adjective
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Acting on such vague forecasts, like shorting Bitcoin, carries immense risk due to its volatility.
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But the movie never seems to have a grip on its hero’s moral code; despite urging Ruthye not to kill the villain, Kara’s outlook on her own use of lethal force remains frustratingly vague.
Adjective
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What to expect over the weekend Though Friday was expected to be the slowest day of the competition, the atmosphere at Cal Expo was anything but dull.
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Some residents are calling for civilian volunteers to help clear debris, frustrated by the slow pace of the rescue operations.
Verb
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The irony is a bit hard to ignore — the very environment being modified to protect or maintain beaches was simultaneously obscuring the ecological processes happening just offshore.
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And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
Adjective
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The top-of-the-line chef’s kitchen sports metallic cabinetry paired with dark marble countertops and backsplashes.
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These include rolled or folded leaf blades, a dark or blue tinge to the foliage, or lingering footprints after walking on the lawn.
Adjective
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Its 85-inch QLED display features a highly matte anti-glare screen, so your art and movies look lifelike without annoying reflections.
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The long-wearing formula sets to a semi-matte finish that resists oil and humidity, too.
Adjective
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Single dishes tend to be more sensitive and able to pick up faint radio waves from deeper in the cosmos, but radio arrays with many dishes tend to capture much sharper images.
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However, this new research showed that these point sources, including pulsars, would be extremely faint, and that is good news for scientists who favor annihilating dark matter as the cause of these gamma rays.
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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