dimmer; dimmest
1
a
: emitting or having a limited or insufficient amount of light
dim stars
a dim lamp
a dim hallway
b
: dull, lusterless
dim colors
c
: lacking pronounced, clear-cut, or vigorous quality or character
a dim echo of the past
2
a
: seen indistinctly
a dim outline
b
: perceived by the senses or mind indistinctly or weakly : faint
had only a dim notion of what was going on
c
: having little prospect of favorable result or outcome
a dim future
d
: characterized by an unfavorable, skeptical, or pessimistic attitude
—usually used in the phrase take a dim view of
takes a dim view of human nature
3
: dim-witted
too dim to understand the joke
4
: not perceiving clearly and distinctly
dim eyes
dimmed; dimming
1
: to reduce the light from
dim the headlights
2
: to make dim or lusterless
dimmed their hopes of an early settlement
: to become dim
the lights dimmed
their beauty had dimmed
1
dimension
2
diminished
3
diminuendo
4
diminutive
Synonyms
Examples of dim in a Sentence
Adjective
Just the dim outline of the building could be seen through the fog.
I have a dim memory of your last visit.
Verb
The latest setback has dimmed hopes of an early settlement.
Hopes of an early settlement have dimmed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
One of his several gold teeth gleams in the dim light.
—Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
But his enthusiasm dimmed after updating to iOS 18.2 beta last week.
—Jackie Snow, Quartz, 30 Oct. 2024
Jack Bantock, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Middleton hasn’t been photographed in public—with the exception of two dim (and disputed) paparazzi shots of her in cars—since December.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dim 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Adjective
Each of those units has enough oomph to excite an electron, even in dim light with very few of them.
—Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
One of his several gold teeth gleams in the dim light.
—Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
The depth of feeling for the actor by his peers and fans became immediately evident when the League’s initial announcement that only some venues would dim their lights was met with massive backlash from the community.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
But his enthusiasm dimmed after updating to iOS 18.2 beta last week.
—Jackie Snow, Quartz, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
While some golfers only donned solar glasses at the moment of maximum obscurity, others tracked many of their shots through the dim of their commemorative eyewear.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Middleton hasn’t been photographed in public—with the exception of two dim (and disputed) paparazzi shots of her in cars—since December.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dim
Dictionary Entries Near dim
Cite this Entry
“Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dim. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dim
2 of 2 verb
dimmed; dimming
1
: to make or become dim
2
: to reduce the light from
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