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Added 9 October 2026

dim

/dɪm/ verb

In Latin: fuscus, creper Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dim at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam.
Become dim or lusterless.
the lights dimmed and the curtain rose
Make dim or lusterless.
Time had dimmed the silver

adjective

Lacking in light; not bright or harsh.
a dim light beside the bed
Lacking clarity or distinctness.
a dim figure in the distance
Made dim or less bright.
the dimmed houselights brought a hush of anticipation

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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