Thick is a very common English word with several sensesdifferent meanings or uses of a word. It can describe something that is not thin, something packed closely together, something densepacked tightly; with little space between parts or hard to see through, or, informallyin casual speech, not in formal language, someone who is not very intelligent. It can also be used in a few other related ways.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /θɪk/
Easy pronunciation: THIK (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable; stress is on the whole word.
Primary sense: adjective meaning not thin; having a greater distance from one side or surface to the other.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Thick Meaning
having a large width or depth from one side to the other
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: not thin; measuring a greater distance from one side or surface to the other
Example: a thick board
Synonyms for this meaning:
- dense — Can work for some physical uses, but it is stronger for packed material than for exact thickness.
- compact — Can fit some physical descriptions, but it often suggests small, tightly packed size rather than thickness alone.
- stocky — Usually describes a person or animal with a broad, solid build, not objects in general.
- thickset — Used mainly for a person with a short, broad, solid build.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Thick
Meaning 2
packed closely together
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: having closely packed parts or material
Example: a thick forest
Synonyms for this meaning:
- dense — A direct match for tightly packed material, people, or growth.
Meaning 3
not runny; fairly heavy and solid in texture
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: relatively dense in consistency
Example: thick soup
Synonyms for this meaning:
- dense — Can describe texture, but is less common than in the sense of packed or difficult to pass through.
Meaning 4
so full of plants or trees that it is difficult to move through
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: hard to pass through because of dense growth
Example: thick woods
Synonyms for this meaning:
- dense — A direct substitute in this sense.
Meaning 5
very dark and hard to see through or into
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: (of darkness) densely dark
Example: thick darkness
Synonyms for this meaning:
- deep — A valid substitute for darkness or night.
Meaning 6
muddled or hard to understand in speech
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: spoken as if with a thick tongue
Example: slurred speech
Synonyms for this meaning:
- slurred — A strong match when speech is hard to understand.
Meaning 7
not smart
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: (used informally) stupid
Example: Don't be thick; the answer is right there.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- blockheaded — Informal insult meaning very stupid.
- boneheaded — Informal insult meaning foolish or stupid.
- thickheaded — Direct informal synonym for stupid.
- thick-skulled — Informal and insulting; means slow to understand.
- wooden-headed — Old-fashioned but still means very stupid.
Meaning 8
happening one after another very quickly
Part of speech: adverb
Definition: in quick succession
Example: Problems were coming thick and fast.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- thickly — Base form related to the adverbial use, though it is less natural than the fixed phrase 'thick and fast'.
Meaning 9
very friendly and close
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: associated on close terms
Example: They were thick as thieves for years.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- buddy-buddy — Informal and closely matches the meaning of very friendly.
- chummy — A good informal synonym meaning friendly and close.
Meaning 10
in a thick way; with a heavy, dense flow
Part of speech: adverb
Definition: with a thick consistency
Example: The blood was flowing thick.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- thickly — Direct match for the adverbial use.
Meaning 11
in the middle of something, surrounded on all sides
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the location of something surrounded by other things
Example: in the thick of the crowd
Synonyms for this meaning:
- midst — A direct noun synonym in this sense.
Meaning 12
covered or filled with a lot of something
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: abounding; having a lot of
Example: The table was thick with dust.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Thick Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- dense
- compact
- stocky
- thickset
hard to pass through because of dense growth
- dense
(of darkness) densely dark
- deep
spoken as if with a thick tongue
- slurred
(used informally) stupid
- blockheaded
- boneheaded
- thickheaded
- thick-skulled
- wooden-headed
associated on close terms
- buddy-buddy
- chummy
in quick succession
- thickly
with a thick consistency
- thickly
the location of something surrounded by other things
- midst
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Don't mix up thick meaning 'not thin' with thick meaning 'stupid'.
- Thick can describe a person, but thickset and stocky are mainly about build, not intelligence.
- In 'thick and fast,' thick means happening rapidly, not physically dense.
- Thick in 'thick of the crowd' means in the middle of something, not having depth.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main meaning of thick?
The most common meaning is 'not thin' or 'having a large distance from one side to the other.'
What are the best synonyms for thick?
For the main physical sense, good synonyms include dense, compact, stocky, and thickset, depending on the context.
Can thick mean stupid?
Yes. In informal speech, thick can mean not very intelligent.
What does thick mean in thick forest?
It means the forest is very dense and closely packed, so it is hard to move through.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.