adj

thick

thihk

adj

Having a large distance between opposite surfaces; not thin.

"She spread a thick layer of jam on the toast."

"The walls of the castle were thick enough to stop a cannonball."

Having a heavy, sturdy build.

"The rugby player had thick arms and a broad chest."

Densely packed or crowded together.

"The trees grew thick along the riverbank."

Having a heavy, syrupy consistency rather than being runny.

"Let the sauce simmer until it turns thick."

Difficult to see through, as with fog, smoke, or an accent.

"A thick mist rolled in off the sea."

"He still spoke with a thick Irish accent."

Slow to understand; not very intelligent (informal).

"Don't be thick — of course that's a trick question."

Closely bonded or on very friendly terms with someone (usually "thick as thieves").

"The two of them have been thick as thieves since school."

How to Use Thick

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNot thin — whether that means wide, dense, syrupy, hard to see through, or (informally) a bit slow-witted.

Common mistake

In British slang, "thick" describing a person means stupid, not physically large — don't confuse it with "thickset", which is about build.

Common pairings

thick fog thick accent thick as thieves a thick book

thicker comparative, thicker comparative, thicked past tense, thicks plural, thicks singular, thickest superlative, thickest superlative

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Test yourself on “thick” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

She spread a _____ layer of jam on the toast.

From Old English þicce ("thick, dense"), part of a very old Germanic word family — related to Dutch dik and German dick.

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