dim
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- poorly lit, cloudy, dark, grey, overcast, shadowy, tenebrous
- unclear, bleary, blurred, faint, fuzzy, ill-defined, indistinct, obscured, shadowy
- stupid, dense, dozy (Brit. informal), dull, dumb (informal), obtuse, slow on the uptake (informal), thick
- take a dim view: disapprove, be displeased, be sceptical, look askance, reject, suspect, take exception, view with disfavour
[verb]
Synonyms:
- dull, blur, cloud, darken, fade, obscure

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Antonyms: bright, distinct
Contrasted words: manifest, plain

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English Thesaurus: dark, dimly-lit, dim, darkened, gloomy, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. dim¹ /dɪm/ adjective (comparative dimmer, superlative dimmest)
[Language: Old English]

1. DARK fairly dark or not giving much light, so that you cannot see well Antonym : bright:
in the dim light of the early dawn
a dim glow

2. SHAPE a dim shape is one which is not easy to see because it is too far away, or there is not enough light:
The dim outline of a building loomed up out of the mist.

3. take a dim view of something to disapprove of something:
Miss Watson took a dim view of Paul’s behaviour.

4. dim recollection/awareness etc a memory or understanding of something that is not clear in your mind Synonym : vague:
Laura had a dim recollection of someone telling her this before.

5. EYES literary dim eyes are weak and cannot see well:
Isaac was old and his eyes were dim.

6. FUTURE CHANCES if your chances of success in the future are dim, they are not good:
Prospects for an early settlement of the dispute are dim.

7. in the dim and distant past a very long time ago – used humorously

8. NOT INTELLIGENT informal not intelligent:
You can be really dim sometimes!
—dimly adverb:
a dimly lit room
She was only dimly aware of the risk.
—dimness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. dim² verb (past tense and past participle dimmed, present participle dimming)

1. [intransitive and transitive] if a light dims, or if you dim it, it becomes less bright:
The lights in the theatre began to dim.

2. [intransitive and transitive] if a feeling, quality etc dims or is dimmed, it grows weaker or less:
Even the rain could not dim their enthusiasm.
Hopes of a peaceful settlement have dimmed.

3. dim your headlights/lights American English to lower the angle of the front lights of your car, especially when someone is driving towards you Synonym : dip British English

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

dark if a place is dark, there is little or no light:
The room was very dark.
No, you can’t play outside, it’s too dark.
It was a dark night with clouds covering the moon.
dimly-lit a dimly-lit building or place is fairly dark because the lights there are not very bright:
a dimly-lit restaurant
The church was dimly lit.
dim a dim light is fairly dark:
The camera can take good pictures even in dim lighting.
The evening sky grew dim.
darkened a darkened room or building is darker than usual, especially because its lights have been turned off or the curtains have been drawn:
The prisoner lay in a darkened room.
The play starts with a darkened stage, and the sound of a woman singing softly.
gloomy a gloomy place or room is not at all bright or cheerful:
The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.
murky dark and difficult to see through – used especially about water:
the murky waters of the lake
I could hardly see him in the murky light of the bar.
pitch-dark/pitch-black completely dark, so that nothing can be seen:
It was pitch-dark inside the shed.
shady a shady place is cooler and darker than the area around it, because the light of the sun cannot reach it:
It was nice and shady under the trees.
They found a shady spot for a picnic.
deep fairly dark – often used when you think this colour looks attractive:
His eyes were a beautiful deep blue.
deep red lips
rich used about a colour that is fairly dark in a way that gives a pleasant feeling of warmth:
The walls were painted a rich red colour.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

dim
dɪm
See: take a dim view of

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲