1 B1 neutral
To lose body weight and become thinner.
"She spent three months at the gym and slimmed down considerably before the wedding."
inseparable
slim down
B1 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To become thinner by losing body weight, or to reduce the size or scope of something.
In plain English
Get thinner (for a person) or make something smaller and more efficient.
What does "slim down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To reduce the size, staff, or scope of an organisation, company, or product.
"The airline slimmed down its operations after the pandemic hit revenue hard."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To become slim (thin) in a downward direction — fairly transparent.
Actually means
Get thinner (for a person) or make something smaller and more efficient.
Usage tip
When referring to people, it is a polite, neutral way to talk about weight loss and is preferred over blunter alternatives. When referring to organisations, budgets, or products, it means to reduce in size or scale. Common in both business and lifestyle journalism.
Words that pair with "slim down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
body company workforce budget menu operations
How to conjugate "slim down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
slim down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
slims down
he/she/it
Past simple
slimed down
yesterday
Past participle
slimed down
have + pp
-ing form
sliming down
continuous
Hear "slim down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "slim down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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