Dumb vs. Thick — What's the Difference?

Lacking the power of speech. Used of animals and inanimate objects.

With opposite sides or surfaces that are far or relatively far apart

(Offensive) Incapable of using speech; mute. Used of humans. See Usage Note at mute.

Made up of a large number of things or people close together

Temporarily speechless, as with shock or fear

(of a liquid or a semi-liquid substance) relatively firm in consistency; not flowing freely

Unwilling to speak; taciturn.

Of low intelligence; stupid

Not expressed or articulated in sounds or words

(of a voice) not clear or distinct; hoarse or husky

(Nautical) Not self-propelling.

Having a very close, friendly relationship

Conspicuously unintelligent; stupid

The most active or crowded part of something

Unintentional; haphazard

In or with deep, dense, or heavy mass

To make silent or dumb.

Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite, usually in the smallest solid dimension; not thin

(dated) Unable to speak; lacking power of speech (kept in "deaf, dumb, and blind").

Measuring a specified number of units in this dimension

(dated) Silent; unaccompanied by words.

Heavy in form, build, or stature; thickset

Extremely stupid.

Having component parts in a close, crowded state or arrangement; dense

(figuratively) Pointless, foolish, lacking intellectual content or value.

Having or suggesting a heavy or viscous consistency

Lacking brightness or clearness, as a colour.

Having a great number; abounding

To silence.

Impenetrable by the eyes

(transitive) To make stupid.

Hard to hear or understand, as from being husky or slurred

(transitive) To represent as stupid.

Very noticeable; pronounced

(transitive) To reduce the intellectual demands of.

(Informal) Lacking mental agility; stupid.

Destitute of the power of speech; unable; to utter articulate sounds; as, the dumb brutes.

(Informal) Very friendly; intimate

Not willing to speak; mute; silent; not speaking; not accompanied by words; as, dumb show.

(Informal) Going beyond what is tolerable; excessive.

Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color.

In a thick manner; deeply or heavily

To put to silence.

In a close, compact state or arrangement; densely

Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity;

So as to be thick; thickly

Unable to speak temporarily;

The thickest part.

Lacking the power of human speech;

The most active or intense part

Unable to speak because of hereditary deafness

Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension.

Measuring a certain number of units in this dimension.

Heavy in build; thickset.

Densely crowded or packed.

Having a viscous consistency.

Abounding in number.

Impenetrable to sight.

(Of an accent) Prominent, strong.

Greatly evocative of one's nationality or place of origin.

Difficult to understand, or poorly articulated.

(informal) Stupid.

(informal) Friendly or intimate.

Deep, intense, or profound.

(academic) Detailed and expansive; substantive.

Troublesome; unreasonable

Curvy and voluptuous, and especially having large hips.

In a thick manner.

Frequently or numerously.

The thickest, or most active or intense, part of something.

A thicket.

(slang) A stupid person; a fool.

To thicken.

Measuring in the third dimension other than length and breadth, or in general dimension other than length; - said of a solid body; as, a timber seven inches thick.

Having more depth or extent from one surface to its opposite than usual; not thin or slender; as, a thick plank; thick cloth; thick paper; thick neck.

Dense; not thin; inspissated; as, thick vapors. Also used figuratively; as, thick darkness.

Not transparent or clear; hence, turbid, muddy, or misty; as, the water of a river is apt to be thick after a rain.

Abundant, close, or crowded in space; closely set; following in quick succession; frequently recurring.

Not having due distinction of syllables, or good articulation; indistinct; as, a thick utterance.

Deep; profound; as, thick sleep.

Dull; not quick; as, thick of fearing.

Intimate; very friendly; familiar.

The thickest part, or the time when anything is thickest.

A thicket; as, gloomy thicks.

Frequently; fast; quick.

Closely; as, a plat of ground thick sown.

To a great depth, or to a greater depth than usual; as, land covered thick with manure.

To thicken.

The location of something surrounded by other things;

Not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions;

Closely crowded together;

Relatively dense in consistency;

Spoken as if with a thick tongue;

Wide from side to side;

Hard to pass through because of dense growth;

(of darkness) very intense;

Abundant;

Heavy and compact in form or stature;

(used informally) associated on close terms;

Used informally

Abundantly covered or filled;

With a thick consistency;

In quick succession;