thinly

Meaning 1: Physical Description

In a way that is not thick, dense, or abundant; with little substance or coverage.

Examples

• The ice on the pond was too thinly spread to support any weight.
• She applied the paint thinly to create a translucent effect on the canvas.

Meaning 2: Figurative

With little justification, credibility, or depth; barely concealed.

Examples

• His excuse for being late was thinly veiled and nobody believed him.
• The criticism was thinly disguised as constructive feedback.

Pronunciation: /ˈθɪnli/

How to Use thinly

thinly sliced (collocation)

Cut into very narrow pieces. — "For the sandwich, we need thinly sliced ham."

thinly spread (collocation)

Distributed over a large area or among many people/things, often implying insufficiency. — "The police force was thinly spread across the entire city during the protest."

thinly veiled (collocation)

Barely hidden or disguised. — "Her compliment was a thinly veiled insult."

thinly populated (collocation)

Having few people living in an area. — "The northern regions are very thinly populated."

Synonyms of thinly

Words with a similar meaning to thinly:

• sparsely
• lightly
• finely
• scantily

Antonyms of thinly

Words with the opposite meaning to thinly:

• thickly
• densely