What does thick mean?
Thick is most commonly an adjective meaning not thin: it describes something with substantial depth, width, consistency, or density. It can describe physical objects, such as a thick book; substances and weather, such as thick fog; and people’s voices or accents. Figuratively, it suggests abundance or concentration: a story may be thick with incident, or a place thick with history. In informal English, it can also mean mentally slow, a judgment that may sound rude, while “thick as thieves” suggests close friendship. As an adverb, thick is less common than thickly but remains natural in fixed expressions and when describing food cut into thick pieces. Across these uses, thick balances literal size and texture with figurative ideas of density, warmth, and even occasional insult. Its long history and compact one-syllable form make it a particularly useful word because it can make ordinary description vivid without adding formal vocabulary.
Not thin or narrow; having substantial depth, width, density, consistency, or bulk. It can also mean concentrated, close-packed, strongly accented, or, informally, mentally slow.
"She cut a thick slice from the loaf."
Its figurative and informal meanings vary from neutral to potentially insulting depending on context.
In a thick manner; densely, in large amounts, or in thick pieces.
"Cut the bread thick and serve it with the soup."
The adverb is chiefly used in a limited number of expressions or with food; thickly is more usual for the ordinary sense of densely.
From Old English þicce to modern thick, this one-syllable workhorse has covered everything from soup to friendship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of thick
Thick comes from Old English þicce, an inherited Germanic adjective with senses connected with bulk, depth, and closeness. It belongs to a Germanic word family that also produced Old Norse þykkr, Dutch dik, and German dick. The English adjective developed figurative uses for concentrated substances, crowded conditions, voices and accents, and informal descriptions of a person's mental acuity.
Related word forms
How thick is actually used
The informal sense meaning mentally slow can sound rude or insulting. Describing a voice or accent as thick is generally neutral in itself but may be perceived as insensitive depending on the speaker and context.
Easily confused with thick
A thigh is the upper part of the leg, whereas thick describes something that is not thin or is densely packed.