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Definition of thick adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

thick

adjective
 
 
/θɪk/
 
/θɪk/
(comparative thicker, superlative thickest)
Idioms
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    distance between sides

  1.  
     having a larger distance between opposite sides or surfaces than other similar objects or than normal
    • a thick slice of bread
    • a thick book (= one that has a lot of pages)
    • a thick coat (= one made of heavy cloth)
    • thick fingers
    • Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust.
    • Use fairly thick wads of newspaper.
    • He wore thick glasses.
    • a thick carpet of snow
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    • …
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
     used to ask about or state the distance between opposite sides or surfaces
    • How thick are the walls?
    • They're two feet thick.
    • The silk thread is only slightly thicker than a hair.

    3. hair/fur/trees

  3.  
     growing closely together in large amounts or numbers
    • thick dark hair
    • This breed of cattle has a very thick coat.
    • His eyebrows were thick and bushy.
    • a thick forest
    Extra Examples
    • a screen of trees thick enough to conceal the building entirely
    • She padded noiselessly across the thick carpet (= that has a large number of fibres pressed closely together).
    Topics Appearanceb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    • …
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    See full entry
    4.

    liquid

  4.  
     not flowing very easily
    • thick soup
    • The effect will be ruined if the paint is too thick.
    • I was buried up to my waist in thick mud, unable to move.
    Topics Cooking and eatingb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • look
    • seem
    • …
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    See full entry
    5.

    fog/smoke/air

  5.  
     difficult to see through; difficult to breathe in
    • The plane crashed in thick fog.
    • Thick black smoke rose over the city.
    • Thick cloud covered the sky.
    • The air had grown thick and smoky.
    • thick with something The air was thick with dust.
    • (figurative) The atmosphere was thick with tension.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    • …
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    preposition
    • with
    See full entry
    6.

    with large number/amount

  6. thick with somebody/something having a large number of people or a large amount of something in one place
    • The beach was thick with sunbathers.
    7.

    stupid

  7. (informal, offensive) an offensive way to describe somebody who is slow to learn or understand things synonym stupid (2)
    • I'm not completely thick, you know.
    8.

    accent

  8. (sometimes disapproving) easily recognized as being from a particular country or area synonym strong
    • a thick Brooklyn accent
    9.

    voice

  9. thick (with something) deep and not as clear as normal, especially because of illness or emotion
    • His voice was thick with emotion.
    10.

    friendly with somebody

  10. thick (with somebody) (informal) very friendly with somebody, especially in a way that makes other people suspect that something wrong, illegal or dishonest is involved in the situation
    • You seem to be very thick with the boss!
    Topics Family and relationshipsc2
    11. see also thickly, thickness
    Word OriginOld English thicce, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dik and German dick.
Idioms
blood is thicker than water
  1. (saying) family relationships are stronger than any others
give somebody/get a thick ear
  1. (British English, informal) to hit somebody/be hit on the head as a punishment
    • You’ll get a thick ear if you’re not careful!
(as) thick as thieves
  1. (informal) (of two or more people) very friendly, especially in a way that makes other people suspect that something wrong, illegal or dishonest is involved in the situation
(as) thick as two short planks
  1. (British English, informal) (of a person) very stupid
    More Like This Similes in idiomsSimiles in idioms
a thick head
  1. (informal) a physical condition in which your head is painful or you cannot think clearly as a result of an illness or of drinking too much alcohol
    • You’re going to have a thick head in the morning!
your thick head
  1. (informal) used to show that you are annoyed that somebody does not understand something
    • When will you get it into your thick head that I don't want to see you again!
thick/thin on the ground
  1. (British English) if people or things are thick/thin on the ground, there are a lot/not many of them in a place
    • Customers are thin on the ground at this time of year.
    • Security officers were thick on the ground during the King’s visit.
a thick skin
  1. the ability to accept criticism, offensive remarks, etc. without becoming upset opposite a thin skin see also thick-skinned
See thick in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee thick in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: thick

Nearby words

hat-trick
noun
 
 
From the Topic
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