thickly
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /θˈɪkli/
US
- /ˈθɪkli/
Description
- densely
- in a heavy layer
- in large amounts
- closely together
"Thickly" describes something spread, placed, or appearing in a dense or heavy way. Think of fog hanging thickly over a road, making it hard to see ahead. Or imagine a cake frosted thickly with icing, with a rich layer spread across the top. It means more than just "a lot." It suggests that something is full, close, or heavy enough to change how it looks or feels. Trees can grow thickly, snow can fall thickly, and smoke can rise thickly into the air.
The word "thickly" is an adverb that describes how something is spread, covered, arranged, or present. It usually suggests density, closeness, or a heavy amount. It is often used when something fills space in a way that is easy to notice, either because it blocks vision, forms a strong layer, or appears close together.
Consider these examples: "The trees grew thickly in the forest, blocking out most of the sunlight." Here, thickly emphasizes that the trees are growing very close together. Or, "Fog lay thickly over the hills," which gives a clear picture of air so full of fog that the view is partly hidden.
"Thickly" is very common in physical descriptions. We use it for things like cream spread on bread, dust lying on furniture, hair growing close together, or snow falling in large, heavy amounts. In all of these cases, the idea is the same: there is so much of something, or it is so close together, that it creates a strong effect.
It can also describe speech, especially when someone speaks with a strong accent or in a heavy, unclear way. If someone says, "He spoke thickly," the meaning depends on context, but it often suggests speech that is hard to understand because of accent, emotion, tiredness, or some physical condition.
Sometimes "thickly" also carries the idea of obstruction. "Smoke drifted thickly through the room" suggests not only a large amount of smoke, but also a space made unpleasant or hard to see through. So, when you want to convey the sense of a heavy layer, close grouping, or dense amount, "thickly" is the right word. It is not just about quantity; it is about the way that quantity fills space or affects what people see, feel, or hear.
Examples
- 1
Food spread
She spread peanut butter thickly on the toast.
- 2
Forest cover
The mountain slopes are thickly covered with forest.
- 3
Heavy snowfall
Snow was falling thickly outside the cabin.
- 4
Hair growth
His hair was growing thickly around the scar again.
- 5
Unclear speech
After the injection, he spoke thickly for the rest of the afternoon.
Phrase
spoke thickly
spoke in a way that sounded unclear or heavy
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- thicklyadverb