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   slim

   /slɪm/

   adjective

   • 1. (of a person or their build) gracefully thin; slender: "her slim figure" Similar slenderleanwillowysylphlikesveltelissomgracefulsnake-hippedrangyclean-limbedtrimslightslightly builtthinas thin as a reedskinnysize-zerospareattenuatedlankyspindlyrare:gracileattenuateOpposite fatplump
   • ▪ (of a thing) small in width and typically long and narrow in shape: "a slim gold band encircled her wrist" Similar narrowslenderslimlineOpposite broad
   • ▪ (of a garment) cut on slender lines; designed to make the wearer appear slim: "a pair of slim, immaculately cut trousers"
   • ▪ (of a business or other organization) reduced to a smaller size in the hope that it will become more efficient: "companies will extract all possible productivity gains from their slimmer workforces before adding people"
   • 2. (of something abstract, especially a chance or margin) very small: "there was just a slim chance of success" Similar slightsmallslenderfaintfeeblepoorflimsytenuousfragilenegligiblemarginalminimaloutsideremotedistantunlikelyimprobableOpposite goodstrong
   • 3. crafty, sly, or unscrupulous. South African

   verb

   • 1. make oneself thinner, especially by dieting: British "if he's overweight, he should slim" Similar lose weightget thinnerlose/shed some poundslose some inchesget into shapeshape upreducedietgo on a dietslenderizeOpposite put on weight
   • ▪ make (a person or part of the body) thinner, especially by dieting: British "how can I slim down my hips?"
   • ▪ reduce (a business or other organization) to a smaller size in the hope of making it more efficient: British "restructuring and slimming down the organization" Similar reducecutcut down/backmake cutbacks inscale downtrimdecreasediminishpare downwhittle awayprunerationalizedownsizeOpposite increase

   noun

   • 1. a course or period of slimming: "a sponsored slim"
   • 2. a term used in parts of Africa to refer to AIDS.

   Word Origin mid 17th century: from Low German or Dutch (from a base meaning ‘slanting, cross, bad’), of Germanic origin. The pejorative sense found in Dutch and German existed originally in the English noun slim ‘lazy or worthless person’; compare with the South African usage ‘crafty, sly’ (slim (sense 3 of the adjective)).

   Derivatives

   • 1. slimly adverb
   • 2. slimness noun

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • S

     1

   • L

     1

   • I

     1

   • M

     3

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