Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Past a wooden gate in Valle de Bravo, a lakeside town two hours west of Mexico City, a narrow path along a brick wall leads to a dim , cell-like vestibule that all but eliminates the world beyond. Suleman Anaya Fabian Martinez, New York Times , 20 Sep. 2023 Use dim lighting, a playlist featuring gentle music, and candles to create an ambiance that helps your partner feel relaxed, Pasciucco says. Ro White, SELF , 15 Sep. 2023 And to bask in the dim lighting where Serge Gainsbourg met Jane Birkin, where Baudelaire and Proust dined, and where three Michelin stars were first awarded to a restaurant in Paris—come on! Victoria James, Bon Appétit , 30 Aug. 2023 Introduction Last October, as the James Webb Space Telescope beamed down its first long exposures of the sky near the constellation Eridanus, astronomers began to piece together the story of a dim , flickering point of light that seemed to emerge from the deepest recesses of the universe. Joshua Sokol, Quanta Magazine , 29 Aug. 2023 People complete their workout with comfortable clothes, dim lighting, their favorite movie or TV show, and even aromatherapy. Jody Braverman, Health , 22 Aug. 2023 Uneven pathways, which are especially hard to detect in dim light, can make someone trip and fall. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post , 1 Sep. 2023 The improv veterans included McKay, Ferrell, Steve Carell (who plays dim weatherman Brick Tamland) and David Koechner (whose blustery sportscaster, Champ Kind, does his best to hide a powerful crush on Ron). Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times , 21 Aug. 2023 The intimacy of them sitting next to each other [under] these cool, dim lights and the lingering looks. Esther Zuckerman, The Hollywood Reporter , 21 Aug. 2023 There’s little appetite to build general acute-care hospitals, especially as their financial outlook dims and more services move outpatient. Tara Bannow, BostonGlobe.com , 15 Sep. 2023 Regardless, the prospect of a federal judge presiding over a state trial dimmed somewhat last week, when Judge Steve C. Jones, a U.S. district court judge, rejected a removal request from Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff and a defendant. Danny Hakim, New York Times , 14 Sep. 2023 The twist feature, in particular, is well suited to dimming lights, adjusting speaker volume or thermostat temperature, and controlling shades — all functions that are hard to achieve with just a button press. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge , 12 Sep. 2023 Improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle: U.S. 422 At 11:10 p.m. Aug. 30, an officer stopped a Nissan Altima on U.S. 422 eastbound because the car’s license plate was obscured and its headlights dim . cleveland , 11 Sep. 2023 This pendant light is adaptable to sloped ceilings, has an adjustable height, and can be dimmed to deliver the perfect overhead glow day or night. Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens , 1 Sep. 2023 When vices like coffee and wine dim your smile, at-home whitening products — teeth whitening kits to whitening toothpastes — deliver sparkling results without the hefty cost. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping , 31 Aug. 2023 The city has gone through tumultuous times, as properties emptied and street lights dimmed . Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press , 2 Sep. 2023 After five minutes of submersion, chances of a rescue dim , said Dr. Michael Flaherty, a pediatric critical care physician and director of the Trauma & Injury Prevention Outreach Program at Mass General for Children. Sarah Raza, BostonGlobe.com , 17 Aug. 2023 An auto dim feature allows users to sleep without the glow of a bright screen, so your dad can rest peacefully. Brandi Fuller, Better Homes & Gardens , 21 Apr. 2023 Americans retain their faith in the American dream even as our prospects of upward mobility dim . New York Times , 5 Apr. 2022 The changes come as the city has been trying to decrease violent crime through policing and other methods, such as targeting blighted neighborhoods or areas with dim or no lighting. Dallas News , 9 Nov. 2022 And as fears about the pandemic dim in highly vaccinated countries after the wave of omicron variant infections, attention may be elsewhere. Washington Post , 10 Feb. 2022 Vic describes his wife as petulant, selfish, and a little dim , a spoiled child whose actions add up to little more than animalistic sensation seeking. Katie Rife, Vulture , 22 Mar. 2022 Like the planet Tatooine from Star Wars, two suns — one bright, one dim and red— rise over the horizon of Kepler 47d. Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine , 16 Apr. 2019 See More These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of dim was before the 12th century See more words from the same century “Dim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dim. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

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