1 B1 neutral
To make a liquid or mixture less thick by adding water or another liquid.
"If the batter is too stiff, thin it down with a little milk."
separable
thin down
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To make a substance less thick by adding liquid, or to lose weight and become thinner.
In plain English
To make something less thick — like adding water to paint to make it runnier — or to lose weight.
What does "thin down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To lose weight and become noticeably slimmer.
"He'd really thinned down since the last time I saw him."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To make something physically thinner.
Actually means
To make something less thick — like adding water to paint to make it runnier — or to lose weight.
Usage tip
Common in cooking and art (thinning paint or sauces). Also used informally to describe someone losing weight. 'Thin down' for weight loss is somewhat informal; 'slim down' or 'lose weight' are more standard.
Words that pair with "thin down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
paint sauce mixture waist figure stock
How to conjugate "thin down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
thin down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
thins down
he/she/it
Past simple
thined down
yesterday
Past participle
thined down
have + pp
-ing form
thining down
continuous
Hear "thin down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "thin down"
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