Thick vs Least - What's the difference?
thick | least |
Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension.
* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=17 Measuring a certain number of units in this dimension.
Heavy in build; thickset.
* 2007 , James T. Knight, Queen of the Hustle
Densely crowded or packed.
* , chapter=3
, title= Having a viscous consistency.
Abounding in number.
Impenetrable to sight.
Difficult to understand, or poorly articulated.
(informal) Stupid.
(informal) Friendly or intimate.
* T. Hughes
Deep, intense, or profound.
* Shakespeare
In a thick manner.
Thickly.
Frequently; in great numbers.
The thickest, or most active or intense, part of something.
* Dryden
A thicket.
* Drayton
* Spenser
A stupid person; a fool.
* 2014 , Joseph O'Connor, The Thrill of It All (page 100)
(archaic) To thicken.
(little);The smallest amount of [something .
* 1857 , (Edmund March Blunt), The American Coast Pilot: Containing Directions for the Principal Harbors , E. & G.W. Blunt, page 135:
* John Duncan, Duncan's Travels
* , chapter=5
, title= *{{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
, passage=Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour.}}
* 2004 , Jim Baggott, Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Quantum Theory , Oxford University Press, page 48:
Used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est .
In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others.
As adverbs the difference between thick and least
is that thick is in a thick manner while least is used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.As an adjective thick
is relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension.As a noun thick
is the thickest, or most active or intense, part of something.As a verb thick
is to thicken.As a determiner least is
superlative of little;The smallest amount of [something uncountable].thick
English
Adjective
(er)citation, passage=The face which emerged was not reassuring. It was blunt and grey, the nose springing thick and flat from high on the frontal bone of the forehead, whilst his eyes were narrow slits of dark in a tight bandage of tissue. […].}}
- As she twirled around in front of the mirror admiring how the dress showed off her thick booty, she felt like a princess in a children's storybook.
Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.}}
- We have been thick ever since.
- thick sleep
Synonyms
* (relatively great in extent from one surface to another) broad * (measuring a certain number of units in this dimension) * (heavy in build) chunky, solid, stocky, thickset * (densely crowded or packed) crowded, dense, packed * (having a viscous consistency) glutinous, viscous * (abounding in number) overflowing, swarming, teeming * (impenetrable to sight) dense, opaque, solid * (sense) unclear * dense, dumb (informal), stupid, thick as pigshit (taboo slang), thick as two short planks (slang) * (sense) chummy (qualifier), close, close-knit, friendly, pally (informal), intimate, tight-knit * great, extreme * See alsoAntonyms
* (relatively great in extent from one surface to another) slim, thin * (heavy in build) slender, slight, slim, svelte, thin * (densely crowded or packed) sparse * (having a viscous consistency) free-flowing, runny * (abounding in number) * (impenetrable to sight) thin, transparent * (sense) clear, lucid * brainy (informal), intelligent, smart * (sense) unacquaintedDerived terms
* blood is thicker than water * thick and thin * thick as a brick * thick as a plank * thick as thieves * thick as two short planks * thicket * thickhead * thickish * thickly * thicko * thickness * thickset * thick-skinned * thick-un * thickyAdverb
(er)- Snow lay thick on the ground.
- Bread should be sliced thick to make toast.
- The arrows flew thick and fast around us.
Noun
(-)- It was mayhem in the thick of battle.
- He through a little window cast his sight / Through thick of bars, that gave a scanty light.
- gloomy thicks
- Through the thick they heard one rudely rush.
- If there was doctorates in bollocksology and scratching yourself in bed, the two of you'd be professors by now. Pair of loafing, idle thicks .
Derived terms
* in the thick of * through thick and thinVerb
(en verb)- The nightmare Life-in-death was she, / Who thicks man's blood with cold. — Coleridge.
least
English
Determiner
(en-det) (comparative less)- The least water we could find there was 4 fathoms, which bears from the point S.E., and is distant 1½ mile.
- To have demolished and rebuilt the walls, would have been a very costly expedient, and as the least of two evils, the painter's brush was resorted to; here and there however, above some of the windows, the black wreathings of the smoke are still discernible through the white covering.
Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=“Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.}}
- Light does not need to know in advance which is the path of least time because it takes all paths from its source to its destination.
Usage notes
Some grammarians recommend to use least'' only with uncountable nouns, as in the examples above with the ''smallest amount of sense: * 1965 , H. W. Fowler, Fowler’s Modern English Usage: Second Edition : *: [W]hen the context—unemotional statement of everyday facts—is taken into account, at a less price'' ought to be ''at a lower price'', and ''a lesser prize'' ought to be ''a smaller prize . To such grammarians least'' is the superlative of ''a little'', not that of ''little'', so it does not mean ''smallest'', but ''the smallest amount of''. With plural nouns, they recommend ''fewest .Adverb
- It was the least surprising thing.
- to reward those who least deserve it