Slim vs. Thin — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on October 27, 2023
Slim and Thin both describe a narrow or slight shape or size, but Slim often implies an attractive, graceful form, while Thin can imply lack of substance or health.
Difference Between Slim and Thin
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Slim and Thin are often used interchangeably, but they have nuanced differences. Slim implies a slender, elongated form that is often considered attractive or elegant. Thin, on the other hand, often denotes a narrowness that might suggest a lack of substance or strength.
Slim can be used to describe a form or figure that is gracefully slender, suggesting aesthetic appeal. For instance, a person might aspire to have a slim physique, associating it with beauty or health. Thin, in contrast, can be more neutral, merely describing the width or depth of something without necessarily evoking a sense of appeal.
When Slim is used to describe objects, it often conveys a design that is streamlined and efficient. A slim phone or a slim book might be seen as modern or convenient. Thin, when describing objects, tends to focus on the lack of thickness or depth, like a thin piece of paper or a thin crust pizza.
Slim chances suggest a small possibility, often with a somewhat optimistic tone, as if there's still hope. Thin, when used metaphorically, might convey a lack of substance or depth, as in "a thin argument" which lacks persuasive power.
Both Slim and Thin can be used to describe physical conditions. However, describing someone as slim usually indicates a healthy or fit appearance, whereas describing someone as thin might imply frailty or ill-health.
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Comparison Chart
Implication
Attractive, graceful form
Lack of substance or health
Common Use
Describes a desired physique
Neutral descriptor of width/depth
Object Description
Streamlined, efficient design
Emphasis on lack of thickness
Metaphoric Use
"Slim chances" - small but possible
"Thin argument" - lacks depth or strength
Health Connotation
Healthy or fit appearance
Frailty or ill-health
Compare with Definitions
Slim
A slender appearance.
She admired the slim design of the new phone.
Thin
Having little thickness or depth.
He spread a thin layer of butter on his toast.
Slim
Small in quantity or amount.
There's only a slim chance that it might rain today.
Thin
Sparse or scant in number or density.
His hair was thinning with age.
Slim
Elegantly thin.
She wore a slim dress that complemented her figure.
Thin
Lacking strength or substance.
She presented a thin argument in court.
Slim
(of a person or their build) gracefully thin; slender
Her slim figure
The girls were tall and slim
Thin
Of a liquid, less dense or viscous.
He liked his soup thin, not chunky.
Slim
(of something abstract, especially a chance or margin) very small
There was just a slim chance of success
A slim majority of sixteen
Thin
To make or become less dense or filled.
She decided to thin out the plants in her garden.
Slim
Crafty, sly, or unscrupulous.
Thin
With opposite surfaces or sides that are close or relatively close together
A thin line of paint
Thin slices of bread
Slim
Make oneself thinner, especially by dieting
If he's overweight, he should slim
Thin
Having little, or too little, flesh or fat on the body
A thin, gawky adolescent
Slim
A course or period of slimming
A sponsored slim
Thin
Having few parts or members relative to the area covered or filled; sparse
A depressingly thin crowd
His hair was going thin
Slim
A term used in parts of Africa to refer to AIDS.
Thin
(of a liquid substance) not containing much solid; flowing freely
Thin soup
Slim
Small in girth or thickness in proportion to height or length; slender.
Thin
Lacking substance or quality; weak or inadequate
The evidence is rather thin
Slim
Small in quantity or amount; meager
Slim chances of success.
Thin
With little thickness or depth
A thin-sliced loaf
Cut the ham as thin as possible
Slim
To become or make slim.
Thin
Make or become less dense, crowded, or numerous
The trees began to thin out
The remorseless fire of archers thinned their ranks
Slim
To lose or cause to lose weight, as by dieting or exercise.
Thin
Make or become smaller in thickness
Their effect in thinning the ozone layer is probably slowing the global warming trend
Slim
Slender, thin.
Thin
Hit (a ball) above its centre.
Slim
(of a person or a person's build) Slender in an attractive way.
Movie stars are usually slim, attractive, and young.
Thin
Relatively small in extent from one surface to the opposite, usually in the smallest solid dimension
A thin book.
Slim
Designed to make the wearer appear slim.
Thin
Not great in diameter or cross section; fine
Thin wire.
Slim
(of an object) Long and narrow.
Thin
Having little bodily flesh or fat; lean or slender.
Slim
(of a workforce) Of a reduced size, with the intent of being more efficient.
Thin
Not dense or concentrated; sparse
The thin vegetation of the plateau.
Slim
(of something abstract like a chance or margin) Very small, tiny.
I'm afraid your chances are quite slim.
Thin
More rarefied than normal
Thin air.
Slim
Bad, of questionable quality; not strongly built, flimsy.
Thin
Flowing with relative ease; not viscous
A thin oil.
Slim
Sly, crafty.
Thin
Watery
Thin soup.
Slim
A type of cigarette substantially longer and thinner than normal cigarettes.
I only smoke slims.
Thin
Sparsely supplied or provided; scanty
A thin menu.
Slim
A potato farl.
Thin
Having a low number of transactions
Thin trading in the stock market.
Slim
AIDS, or the chronic wasting associated with its later stages.
Thin
Lacking force or substance; flimsy
A thin attempt.
Slim
Cocaine.
Thin
Lacking resonance or fullness; tinny
The piano had a thin sound.
Slim
(intransitive) To lose weight in order to achieve slimness.
Thin
Lacking radiance or intensity
Thin light.
Slim
(transitive) To make slimmer; to reduce in size.
Thin
Not having enough photographic density or contrast to make satisfactory prints. Used of a negative.
Slim
Worthless; bad.
Thin
In a thin manner
Spread the varnish thin if you don't want it to wrinkle.
Slim
Weak; slight; unsubstantial; poor; as, a slim argument.
Thin
So as to be thin
Cut the cheese thin.
Slim
Of small diameter or thickness in proportion to the height or length; slender; as, a slim person; a slim tree.
Thin
To make or become thin or thinner.
Slim
Take off weight
Thin
Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
Thin plate of metal;
Thin paper;
Thin board;
Thin covering
Slim
Being of delicate or slender build;
She was slender as a willow shoot is slender
A slim girl with straight blonde hair
Watched her slight figure cross the street
Thin
Very narrow in all diameters; having a cross section that is small in all directions.
Thin wire;
Thin string
Slim
Small in quantity;
Slender wages
A slim chance of winning
A small surplus
Thin
Having little body fat or flesh; slim; slender; lean; gaunt.
Thin person
Slim
Having a small width relative to length.
The slim alley was difficult for cars to navigate.
Thin
Of low viscosity or low specific gravity.
Water is thinner than honey.
Slim
To make oneself or something slender.
He decided to slim down for the summer.
Thin
Scarce; not close, crowded, or numerous; not filling the space.
The trees of a forest are thin; the corn or grass is thin.
Thin
(golf) Describing a poorly played golf shot where the ball is struck by the bottom part of the club head. See fat, shank, toe.
Thin
Lacking body or volume; small; feeble; not full.
Thin
Slight; small; slender; flimsy; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering.
A thin disguise
Thin
(aviation) Of a route: relatively little used.
Thin
Poor; scanty; without money or success.
Thin
(philately) A loss or tearing of paper from the back of a stamp, although not sufficient to create a complete hole.
Thin
Any food produced or served in thin slices.
Chocolate mint thins
Potato thins
Wheat thins
Thin
(transitive) To make thin or thinner.
Thin
(intransitive) To become thin or thinner.
The crowds thinned after the procession had passed: there was nothing more to see.
Thin
To dilute.
Thin
To remove some plants or parts of plants in order to improve the growth of what remains.
Thin
Not thickly or closely; in a scattered state.
Seed sown thin
Thin
Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate of metal; thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering.
Thin
Rare; not dense or thick; - applied to fluids or soft mixtures; as, thin blood; thin broth; thin air.
In the day, when the air is more thin.
Satan, bowing lowHis gray dissimulation, disappeared,Into thin air diffused.
Thin
Not close; not crowded; not filling the space; not having the individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or compact state; hence, not abundant; as, the trees of a forest are thin; the corn or grass is thin.
Ferrara is very large, but extremely thin of people.
Thin
Not full or well grown; wanting in plumpness.
Seven thin ears . . . blasted with the east wind.
Thin
Not stout; slim; slender; lean; gaunt; as, a person becomes thin by disease.
Thin
Wanting in body or volume; small; feeble; not full.
Thin, hollow sounds, and lamentable screams.
Thin
Slight; small; slender; flimsy; wanting substance or depth or force; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering; as, a thin disguise.
My tale is done, for my wit is but thin.
Thin
Not thickly or closely; in a seattered state; as, seed sown thin.
Spain is thin sown of people.
Thin
To make thin (in any of the senses of the adjective).
Thin
To grow or become thin; - used with some adverbs, as out, away, etc.; as, geological strata thin out, i. e., gradually diminish in thickness until they disappear.
Thin
Lose thickness; become thin or thinner
Thin
Make thin or thinner;
Thin the solution
Thin
Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture;
Cut bourbon
Thin
Take off weight
Thin
Of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section;
Thin wire
A thin chiffon blouse
A thin book
A thin layer of paint
Thin
Lacking excess flesh;
You can't be too rich or too thin
Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look
Thin
Very narrow;
A thin line across the page
Thin
Having little substance or significance;
A flimsy excuse
Slight evidence
A tenuous argument
A thin plot
Thin
Not dense;
A thin beard
Trees were sparse
Thin
Relatively thin in consistency or low in density; not viscous;
Air is thin at high altitudes
A thin soup
Skimmed milk is much thinner than whole milk
Thin oil
Thin
(of sound) lacking resonance or volume;
A thin feeble cry
Thin
Lacking spirit or sincere effort;
A thin smile
Thin
Without viscosity;
The blood was flowing thin
Common Curiosities
Can Thin imply a lack of health?
Yes, Thin can sometimes suggest frailty or ill-health.
Is a "slim chance" a good thing?
It suggests a small possibility, but there's still hope.
Is Slim always a positive description?
Not always, but it often implies an attractive or graceful form.
Can Thin describe liquids?
Yes, a thin liquid is less dense or viscous.
Do both Slim and Thin describe narrowness?
Yes, both describe a narrow or slight shape or size.
Is Slim synonymous with fit?
Not necessarily. While Slim can imply health, it primarily denotes narrowness.
Is a Slim figure always healthy?
Not necessarily. Slim refers to the form, not necessarily health.
Is it okay to describe someone as Thin?
It depends on context. It could be seen as neutral or possibly negative if implying frailty.
Can "thin" describe an argument?
Yes, a "thin argument" means it lacks depth or strength.
Can both words be used as verbs?
Yes, you can slim down, and you can thin out a mixture.
Can both words be used in fashion?
Yes. Slim-fit jeans or a thin material, for example.
Can objects be described as Slim?
Yes, like a slim phone or slim book, indicating a streamlined design.
Are there any other synonyms for Slim and Thin?
Yes, like svelte or lean for Slim, and slight or fine for Thin.
Do both words have metaphorical uses?
Yes, like "slim chances" or "thin on details."
Is Slim more subjective than Thin?
Possibly. Slim often carries aesthetic or value judgments, while Thin is more neutral.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
