What does thinned mean?
Thinned means that something has been made less thick, dense, concentrated, or intense. It is the past tense and past participle of the verb thin, as in 'the rain thinned the sauce' or 'the crowd thinned after midnight.' The word can describe physical materials, liquids, populations, sounds, and figurative situations where something has been reduced or made less concentrated. In 'the population thinned out,' for example, it indicates that fewer people remained in a place or group. The word is useful because it describes both literal and metaphorical reductions without requiring the reader to infer the exact nature of the change. It is standard in British and American English and appears in formal reporting as well as everyday speech.
Having been made or become less thick, dense, concentrated, or intense.
"The thinned sauce was easier to drizzle over the vegetables."
As an adjective, thinned commonly describes a substance or material whose thickness or density has been reduced.
To make or become less thick, dense, concentrated, intense, or numerous.
"The company thinned its workforce during the downturn."
In the figurative sense, thinned can mean reduced a group, process, or text in size or concentration.
Thinned is the precise word for when something has less depth, density, or substance—whether in a sauce, a crowd, or a material.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does thinned come from?
Thinned derives from thin, an Old English adjective meaning slender, not thick, or lacking in density. The modern form belongs to the Germanic word family and has cognates such as German dünn and Dutch dun. The form thinned is the regular English past tense and past participle of thin, with the usual -ed inflection.
Related word forms
How thinned is actually used
Thinned is the standard past tense and past participle of thin and is common in both formal and informal English. In phrases such as 'thinned out,' it often describes a reduction in density or the number of people or objects present.
Easily confused with thinned
Thinned means made less thick or dense, whereas tinned means covered with tin or placed in a tin container.