dim

See also: Dim and dim.

Translingual

Symbol

dim

1. (mathematics) dimension

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English

Etymology

From Middle English dim, dym, from Old English dim, dimm (“dim, dark, gloomy; wretched, grievous, sad, unhappy”), from Proto-Germanic *dimmaz (“dark”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰem- (“to whisk, smoke, blow; dust, haze, cloud; obscure”). Compare Icelandic dimmur (“dark”) and dimma (“darkness”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: dĭm, IPA^(key): /dɪm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪm

Adjective

dim (comparative dimmer, superlative dimmest)

1. Not bright or colorful.

   The lighting was too dim for me to make out his facial features.

2. Not smart or intelligent.

   He may be a bit dim, but he's not retarded.

3. Indistinct, hazy or unclear.

   His vision grew dimmer as he aged.

4. Disapproving, unfavorable: rarely used outside the phrase take a dim view of.

Translations

not bright, not colourful

• Bulgarian: мътен (bg) (mǎten)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 昏 (zh) (hūn), 昏暗 (zh) (hūn'àn), 暗淡 (zh) (àndàn)

• Czech: tmavý (cs), mdlý
• Dutch: donker (nl), schemerachtig, schemerig, mat (nl)
• Finnish: himmeä
• French: tamisé (fr), faible (fr)
• German: dämmerig, schummrig (de)
• Greek: σκοτεινός (el) m (skoteinós), θαμπός (el) m (thampós), θολός (el) m (tholós)
• Hebrew: כהה (kehe)
• Hungarian: fénytelen (hu), színtelen (hu), opálos

• Italian: debole (it), fioco (it) m, fioca (it) f, oscuro (it) m, oscura f
• Japanese: 薄暗い (うすぐらい, usugurai), ほの暗い (ほのぐらい, honogurai)
• Latvian: blāvs
• Lojban: kandi (jbo)
• Norwegian: dim m, f, dimt n, dimme pl
• Portuguese: opaco (pt), sombrio (pt)
• Romanian: tern (ro) m, n
• Russian: тусклый (ru) (túsklyj)
• Spanish: tenue (es)
• Telugu: మసక (te) (masaka)

indistinct

• Bulgarian: неясен (bg) (nejasen), замъглен (bg) (zamǎglen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 模糊 (zh) (móhú)

• Dutch: vaag (nl)
• French: flou (fr), indistinct (fr)
• Greek: αμυδρός (el) m (amydrós), δυσδιάκριτος (el) m (dysdiákritos)

• Hungarian: homályos (hu), elmosódott (hu), ködbe vesző (due to foggy surroundings)
• Italian: indistinto (it) m, indistinta (it) f
• Portuguese: indistinto (pt)
• Romanian: vag (ro) m, n
• Russian: смутный (ru) (smútnyj), неясный (ru) (nejásnyj)
• Spanish: tenue (es)

not smart

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 遲鈍, 迟钝 (zh) (chídùn)

• Dutch: dom (nl)
• French: bête (fr)
• German: dämlich (de)

• Greek: κουτός (el) m (koutós)
• Italian: tonto m, tonta f
• Portuguese: burro (pt), obtuso (pt)
• Russian: тупой (ru) (tupój)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Japanese: 薄暗い

• Korean: 희미한 (hwimihan)
• Portuguese: fraco (pt), sombrio (pt), vago (pt), não ofuscante

Verb

dim (third-person singular simple present dims, present participle dimming, simple past and past participle dimmed)

1. (transitive) To make something less bright.

   He dimmed the lights and put on soft music.

2. (intransitive) To become darker.

   The lights dimmed briefly when the air conditioning was turned on.

3. To render dim, obscure, or dark; to make less bright or distinct; to take away the luster of; to darken; to dull; to obscure; to eclipse.
   • Dryden

     a king among his courtiers, who dims all his attendants

   • Cowper

     Now set the sun, and twilight dimmed the ways.

4. To deprive of distinct vision; to hinder from seeing clearly, either by dazzling or clouding the eyes; to darken the senses or understanding of.
   • C. Pitt

     Her starry eyes were dimmed with streaming tears.

Translations

to make something less bright

• Bulgarian: помътнявам (bg) (pomǎtnjavam)
• Dutch: verduisteren (nl), dimmen (nl), afblinden
• Greek: θαμπώνω (el) (thampóno), θολώνω (el) (tholóno)

• Italian: abbassare (it), affievolire, offuscare, annebbiare, annerire
• Portuguese: ofuscar (pt)
• Russian: затемнять (ru) (zatemnjatʹ)

to become darker

• Bulgarian: потъмнявам (bg) (potǎmnjavam)
• Italian: affievolirsi

• Portuguese: escurecer (pt)
• Russian: тускнеть (ru) (tusknetʹ)

Derived terms

• dimly
• dimmer noun

Anagrams

• IDM
• MDI
• mid

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Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch duim.

Noun

dim

1. thumb

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Lojban

Rafsi

dim

1. rafsi of dimna.

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Norwegian

Etymology

From Old Norse dimmr. Related to English dim and Icelandic dimmur.

Noun

dim (m and f), dimt (n), dimme (pl)

1. dim
2. to have bad vision

   Han er dim på synet

   His vision is dim/bad

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *dymъ, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós (“smoke”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dîm/

Noun

dȉm m (Cyrillic spelling ди̏м)

1. smoke

Declension

    declension of dim

	singular	plural
nominative	dim	dimovi
genitive	dima	dimova
dative	dimu	dimovima
accusative	dim	dimove
vocative	dime	dimovi
locative	dimu	dimovima
instrumental	dimom	dimovima

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Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *dymъ, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós (“smoke”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdím/
• Tonal: dı̏m

Noun

dìm m inan (genitive díma, uncountable)

1. smoke

Declension

Declension of dìm (masculine inan., hard)

	singular
nominative	dìm
accusative	dìm
genitive	díma
dative	dímu
locative	dímu
instrumental	dímom

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Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dɪm]

Adjective

dim

1. any
2. no, not, none

Noun

dim m

1. anything
2. nothing, none, nil

Particle

dim

1. not

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
dim	ddim	nim	unchanged