thin
adjective /θɪn/
/θɪn/
(comparative thinner, superlative thinnest)
Idioms - having a smaller distance between opposite sides or surfaces than other similar objects or than normal
薄的；细的 - Cut the vegetables into thin strips.
把菜切成细条。 - A number of thin cracks appeared in the wall.
墙上出现了许多细裂缝。 - The body was hidden beneath a thin layer of soil.
尸体被埋在薄薄的一层土下面。 - Palm trees cast long, thin shadows on the lawn.
棕榈树在草坪上投下细长的影子。 - He knew that the ice was too thin to risk crossing the river.
他知道冰太薄，不能冒险过河。 - a thin blouse (= of light cloth)
薄薄的女衬衫
- a plate of wafer-thin bread and butter
一盘极薄的黄油面包 - a sliver of rock thin enough to be translucent
薄到半透明的一块岩石 - She pinched her thin lips together.
她薄薄的双唇紧闭着。 - The wind blew cold through his thin shirt.
风吹透他薄薄的衬衫，冷飕飕的。 - Water forms a thin film between the tyre and the road.
水在轮胎和路面之间形成一层薄膜。
- Cut the vegetables into thin strips.
- (sometimes disapproving) (of a person or part of the body
人或身体部位 瘦的 - He was tall and thin, with dark hair.
他又高又瘦，满头黑发。 - She was looking pale and thin.
她面黄肌瘦。 - How do you stay so thin?
你怎么保持这么瘦？ - He is as thin as a rake (= very thin).
他骨瘦如柴。 - thin legs
细腿
Vocabulary Building Saying that somebody is thinSaying that somebody is thinsee also pencil-thin形容人瘦 thin 为最常用词： - Steve is tall and thin and has brown hair.
史蒂夫瘦高个儿，长着棕色的头发。
该词有时含贬义： - Mother looked thin and tired after her long illness.
久病之后，母亲看上去很憔悴。
- Slim means pleasantly thin. It is often used to describe women who have controlled their weight by diet or exercise:
- She has a beautifully slim figure.
她的身材十分苗条。
- She has a beautifully slim figure.
- A slender girl or woman is thin and graceful.
- A lean man is thin and fit.
- Willowy describes a woman who is attractively tall and thin.
willowy 指女子身材高挑，婀娜多姿。
- Skinny means very thin, often in a way that is not attractive:
- a skinny little kid.
瘦骨嶙峋的小孩
- a skinny little kid.
- Bony describes parts of the body when they are so thin that the bones can be seen:
bony 指人体某部位瘦得骨头突出： - the old man’s bony hands.
这老人骨瘦如柴的双手
- the old man’s bony hands.
- Scrawny suggests that a person is thin, weak and not attractive:
scrawny 指人干瘪、骨瘦如柴： - a scrawny old woman.
骨瘦如柴的老妇
- a scrawny old woman.
- Gaunt describes a person who is a little too thin and looks sad or ill.
gaunt 指人消瘦、憔悴。 - Underweight is used in medical contexts to describe people who are too thin because they are ill or have not had enough food:
underweight 在医学上指人因疾病或进食不足而没达到标准体重： - Women who smoke risk giving birth to underweight babies.
抽烟的妇女生出的婴儿可能会体重不足。
- Women who smoke risk giving birth to underweight babies.
- Emaciated describes a serious condition resulting from illness or not enough food.
- Anorexic is a medical term, but is also used informally to describe somebody, especially a girl or woman, who is so thin that you are worried about them.
Topics Appearancea2- How do you manage to stay so thin?
你是怎样保持这么瘦的？ - The old horse was painfully thin.
那匹老马骨瘦如柴。
- He was tall and thin, with dark hair.
- not growing closely together or in large amounts
稀少的；稀疏的 - thin grey hair
稀疏的花白头发
- thin grey hair
- containing more liquid than is normal or expected
稀薄的；淡的 - The sauce was thin and tasteless.
这酱汁淡而无味。 - The paint looks a bit thin.
油漆看起来有点稀。
Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- The sauce was thin and tasteless.
- fairly easy to see through
能见度较高的；稀薄的 - They fought their way through where the smoke was thinner.
他们挣扎着从烟雾稀薄的地方逃了出去。
- They fought their way through where the smoke was thinner.
- containing less oxygen than normal
稀薄的；含氧少的 - Humans would not be able to survive in the thin atmosphere of the planet.
人类将无法在地球稀薄的大气中生存。
- Humans would not be able to survive in the thin atmosphere of the planet.
- (disapproving) high and weak
微弱的；尖细的；有气无力的 - Her thin voice trailed off into silence.
她的声音越来越弱直至毫无声息。
- Her thin voice trailed off into silence.
- not sincere or enthusiastic
不真心实意的；冷淡的 - He gave a thin smile.
他淡然一笑。
- He gave a thin smile.
- not very bright
微弱的；暗淡的 - the thin grey light of dawn
浅灰色的晨曦
- the thin grey light of dawn
- of poor quality; without an important quality
质量差的；空乏的；拙劣的 - a thin excuse (= one that people are not likely to believe)
站不住脚的借口 - Their arguments all sound a little thin to me.
他们的论据我听起来都觉得有点儿缺乏说服力。 - The general standard of applicants is pretty thin this year.
今年申请人的总体水平相当低。
- His knowledge of the country was somewhat thin.
他对这个国家的了解有点少。 - The evidence seems awfully thin.
证据似乎非常薄弱。
Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- spread something (too) thin
- stretch something (too) thin
- thin on the ground
- …
- a thin excuse (= one that people are not likely to believe)
not thick薄；细
not fat瘦
hair毛发
liquid液体
smoke烟
air空气
sound声音
smile微笑
light光
poor quality劣质
词源Old English thynne, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dun and German dünn, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin tenuis.
Idioms
be skating/walking on thin ice
- to be taking a risk
履薄冰；冒风险
disappear, vanish, etc. into thin air
- to disappear suddenly in a mysterious way
消失得无影无踪；不翼而飞；悄然而逝 - She can’t just have vanished into thin air.
她不可能凭空消失了。 - At a stroke she could make things vanish into thin air.
她用手碰到什么就能让它消失不见。
- She can’t just have vanished into thin air.
have a thin time (of it)
- (British English, informal) to have many problems or difficulties to deal with; to not be successful
遇到许多麻烦；过得不顺 - He’s had a thin time of it since losing his job.
自从失业以来，他日子过得很不好。
- He’s had a thin time of it since losing his job.
out of thin air
- from nowhere or nothing, as if by magic
凭空；无中生有地 - Unfortunately, I can’t just conjure up the money out of thin air!
可惜我不能凭空变出钱来！
- Unfortunately, I can’t just conjure up the money out of thin air!
spread yourself too thin
- to try to do so many different things at the same time that you do not do any of them well
样样都抓，哪样都抓不好 - With four markets to manage, there's a danger that's she's spreading herself too thin.
她要管理四个市场，恐怕会分身乏术。
- With four markets to manage, there's a danger that's she's spreading herself too thin.
thick/thin on the ground
- (British English) if people or things are thick/thin on the ground, there are a lot/not many of them in a place
为数众多（或不多）；数目巨大（或微小）；众多（或稀少） - Customers are thin on the ground at this time of year.
一年里这个时节顾客很少。 - Security officers were thick on the ground during the King’s visit.
国王访问期间，安全官员在现场戒备森严。
- Customers are thin on the ground at this time of year.
the thin end of the wedge
- (especially British English) an event or action that is the beginning of something more serious and/or unpleasant
（不好的事物的）端倪，冰山一角 - The introduction of a tax on workplace parking is seen by many as the thin end of the wedge.
对工作场所停车征税的引入被许多人视为楔形的细端。
- The introduction of a tax on workplace parking is seen by many as the thin end of the wedge.
thin/bald on top
- (informal) with little or no hair on the head
头发稀疏；谢顶 - He's starting to get a little thin on top (= he's losing his hair).
他开始有点谢顶了。 - He's going bald on top.
他谢顶了。
- He's starting to get a little thin on top (= he's losing his hair).
a thin skin
- the lack of ability to accept criticism, offensive remarks, etc. without becoming upset
脸皮薄；顾及脸面 - You shouldn’t be in politics if you have such a thin skin.
脸皮这么薄就不该从政。
- You shouldn’t be in politics if you have such a thin skin.
through thick and thin
- even when there are problems or difficulties
不顾艰难险阻；赴汤蹈火；同甘共苦 - He's supported the team for over ten years through thick and thin.
十多年来，在任何情况下他都支持这个队。 - In marriage, you have to stick together through thick and thin.
在婚姻中，你必须同甘共苦。
- He's supported the team for over ten years through thick and thin.
walk/tread a fine/thin line (between A and B)
- to be in a difficult or dangerous situation where you could easily make a mistake
处于困境（或险境）；如履薄冰；走钢丝 - He was walking a fine line between being funny and being rude.
他想滑稽而不粗鲁，难以把握分寸。 - She often seems to tread a thin line between success and failure.
她似乎经常在成功和失败之间徘徊。
- His comedy treads the line between shocking and sickening.
他的喜剧在令人震惊和恶心之间徘徊。 - We have to walk a fine line to make sure we don't promote one brand more than another.
我们必须谨慎行事，以确保我们不会推广一个品牌超过另一个品牌。 - His buildings walk the thin line between visionary and completely mad.
他的建筑在幻想和完全疯狂之间徘徊。
- He was walking a fine line between being funny and being rude.
wear thin
- to begin to become weaker or less acceptable
开始变弱；变得不受欢迎；变得兴趣索然 - These excuses are wearing a little thin (= because we've heard them so many times before).
这些托辞让人听得有点儿腻烦。 - My patience is beginning to wear very thin.
我有些不耐烦了。
- These excuses are wearing a little thin (= because we've heard them so many times before).