dim

/dim/

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Explanation of the Word "Dim"

Part of Speech: Adjective (can also be used as a verb)

Usage Instructions:

• Use "dim" to describe low light conditions (e.g., "the room is dim").
• Use it to describe someone who doesn’t understand things well (e.g., "He’s a bit dim when it comes to math").
• As a verb, use "dim" when talking about making lights less bright (e.g., "Please dim the lights").

Examples:

1. Adjective:

   • "The room was dimly lit, creating a cozy atmosphere."
   • "She thought he was a bit dim because he always struggled with simple problems."

2. Verb:

   • "Can you dim the lights for the movie?"
   • "As the sun set, the light began to dim."

Advanced Usage:

• "Dim" in Literature: The word can be used metaphorically to describe feelings or situations. For example, "Her hopes for the future dimmed after the news."
• Idiomatic Expressions: "Took a dim view of" means to have a negative or pessimistic opinion about something. For instance, "He took a dim view of the proposal."

Word Variants:

• Noun: Dimness (the quality of being dim)
• Adverb: Dimly (in a dim manner)

Different Meanings:

1. Lacking Brightness:

   • "The dim light made it hard to see clearly."

2. Not Clear or Vague:

   • "I have a dim memory of that event."

3. Slow to Understand:

   • "Despite his efforts, he remained dim in science."

Synonyms:

• For Brightness:

  • Faint, dull, shadowy, muted.

• For Intelligence:

  • Slow-witted, dull, obtuse, thick-headed.

Phrasal Verbs:

While "dim" does not have common phrasal verbs associated with it, you might encounter phrases like "dim down," which informally means to reduce brightness.

Idioms:

• "Take a dim view of something": To regard something with disapproval.

Academic

Adjective

1. slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
   • so dense he never understands anything I say to him
   • never met anyone quite so dim
   • although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick- Thackeray
   • dumb officials make some really dumb decisions
   • he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse
   • worked with the slow students
2. offering little or no hope
   • the future looked black
   • prospects were bleak
   • Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult- J.M.Synge
   • took a dim view of things
3. made dim or less bright
   • the dimmed houselights brought a hush of anticipation
   • dimmed headlights
   • we like dimmed lights when we have dinner
4. lacking clarity or distinctness
   • a dim figure in the distance
   • only a faint recollection
   • shadowy figures in the gloom
   • saw a vague outline of a building through the fog
   • a few wispy memories of childhood
5. lacking in light; not bright or harsh
   • a dim light beside the bed
   • subdued lights and soft music

Verb

1. become vague or indistinct
   • The distinction between the two theories blurred
2. make dim by comparison or conceal
3. make dim or lusterless
   • Time had dimmed the silver
4. become dim or lusterless
   • the lights dimmed and the curtain rose
5. switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam

Synonyms

• dense
• dull
• dumb
• obtuse
• slow
• black
• bleak
• dimmed
• faint
• shadowy
• vague
• wispy
• subdued
• blur
• slur
• blind
• dip