WordGarden.iothinly
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /θˈɪnli/
US
- /ˈθɪnli/
Meanings
Adverb
in a thin layer or with little thickness
with low density or scant coverage
in a weak, slight, or barely concealed way
Beyond the definition
"Thinly" describes something spread in a light layer or present only in a small amount. Imagine putting butter thinly on toast: just enough to cover it, not a heavy coating. It is often used for things like paint, fog, ice, or slices of food when they do not have much thickness.
It can also be used in a figurative way. Someone might be thinly disguised, meaning the attempt to hide who they really are is not very successful. A reason can be thinly supported, meaning there is not much proof behind it. The word often gives a sense of lightness, small quantity, or weak covering.
The adverb "thinly" usually describes the way something is spread, cut, covered, or present in only a small amount. It often suggests a light layer, very little thickness, or a weak degree of coverage. It does not simply name a quality; it tells us how something happens or appears.
In everyday use, you might spread jam thinly on bread, slice potatoes thinly, or notice fog lying thinly over a field. Ice may form thinly on a puddle, which suggests that the layer is light and may break easily. In these cases, the word points to a physical sense: not much thickness, not much quantity, or not much density.
"Thinly" is also common in figurative language. A person may be thinly disguised, meaning the disguise does not hide the truth very well. An excuse or claim may be thinly supported, meaning there is only a small amount of evidence or reasoning behind it. In this kind of use, the idea is still similar: there is not enough there to fully cover, protect, or convince.
The core meaning of "thinly" is the same across these examples. Whether it describes butter on toast, mist in the air, or a weak disguise, it usually carries the sense of something light, slight, sparse, or not strong enough to fully conceal what is underneath.
Examples
- 1
Cutting
Slice the mushrooms thinly so they cook evenly.
- 2
Food spread
She spread the cream cheese thinly on the bagel.
- 3
Paint application
The paint had been applied too thinly, so the wall looked uneven.
- 4
Sparse distribution
A few houses were thinly scattered along the coast.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Hidden criticism
It was a thinly disguised joke about his boss.
- Phrasethinly disguised
not hidden very well
- 6
Hidden emotion
Her polite smile did little to hide her thinly veiled anger.
- Phrasethinly veiled
only partly hidden
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- thinlyadverb