thick

Universal Words adjective, noun, adverb adjective (thicker, thickest) distance between sides 1 having a larger distance between opposite sides or surfaces than other similar objects or than normal: a thick carpet / slice of bread * a thick book (= one that has a lot of pages) * a thick coat (= one made of heavy fabric) * thick fingers * Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust. 2 used to ask about or state the distance between opposite sides or surfaces: How thick are the walls? * They're two feet thick. hair / fur / trees 3 growing closely together in large numbers: thick dark hair * This breed of cattle has a very thick coat. * His eyebrows were thick and bushy. * a thick forest * a thick bush (= with a lot of leaves) liquid 4 not flowing very easily: thick cream / soup * The effect will be ruined if the paint is too thick. fog / smoke / air 5 ~ (with sth) difficult to see through; difficult to breathe in: The plane crashed in thick fog. * thick smoke * The air was thick with dust. * Thick cloud covered the sky. * (figurative) The atmosphere was thick with tension. with large number / amount 6 ~ with sb/sth having a large number of people or a large amount of sth in one place: The beach was thick with sunbathers. stupid 7 (BrE, informal) (of a person) slow to learn or understand things: Are you thick, or what? accent 8 (sometimes disapproving) easily recognized as being from a particular country or area: a thick Brooklyn accent voice 9 ~ (with sth) deep and not as clear as normal, especially because of illness or emotion: His voice was thick with emotion. friendly with sb 10 ~ (with sb) (informal) very friendly with sb, especially in a way that makes other people suspicious: You seem to be very thick with the boss! seealsoTHICKLY, THICKNESS IDIOMS give sb / get a thick ear (BrE, informal) to hit sb/be hit on the head as a punishment: You'll get a thick ear if you're not careful! lay it on thick (informal) to talk about sb/sth in a way that makes them or it seem much better or much worse than they really are; to exaggerate sth: Praise them when necessary, but don't lay it on too thick. (as) thick as thieves (informal) (of two or more people) very friendly, especially in a way that makes other people suspicious (as) thick as two short planks (BrE, informal) (of a person) very stupid a thick head (informal) a physical condition in which your head is painful or you cannot think clearly as a result of an illness or of drinking too much alcohol: You're going to have a thick head in the morning! sb's thick head (informal) used to show that you are annoyed that sb does not understand sth: When will you get it into your thick head that I don't want to see you again! a thick skin the ability to accept criticism, insults, etc. without becoming upset OPPATHINSKIN seealsoTHICK-SKINNED moreatBLOODn., GROUNDn. noun [U] IDIOMS in the thick of sth involved in the busiest or most active part of sth: As a player, he's always in the thick of the action. * Her comments landed her in the thick of a family feud. through thick and thin even when there are problems or difficulties: He's supported the team for over ten years through thick and thin. * In marriage, you have to stick together through thick and thin. adverb (comparative thicker, no superlative) in a way that produces a wide piece or deep layer of sth: Make sure you cut the bread nice and thick. IDIOMS thick and fast quickly and in large quantities: Questions were coming at them thick and fast.