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Dumb vs. Thick: What's the Difference?

Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on October 5, 2023
"Dumb" primarily means unable to speak or lacking intelligence; "thick" mainly refers to high density or low mental acuity.

Key Differences

“Dumb” and “thick” are both adjectives in the English language, and while they might sometimes be used interchangeably in casual language to refer to lack of intelligence, they have different primary meanings. “Dumb” originally refers to the inability to speak, but it’s also colloquially used to describe something or someone perceived as lacking intelligence or making unwise decisions. For example, “He acted dumb in the meeting,” implies a lack of intelligent contribution.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023
“Thick,” on the other hand, primarily denotes a substantial extent from one surface to the opposite, such as in a material object. It’s often used to describe physical dimensions. However, in informal language, “thick” can also refer to someone who is slow to understand or perceive things, similar to one of the colloquial meanings of “dumb.” For instance, saying, “The book’s pages are thick,” refers to physical dimension, while, “He is a bit thick,” refers to mental acuity.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023
“Dumb” can also imply mute or silent, not expressing or accompanied by speech or sound, for instance, a dumb show is a mime performance. This usage highlights the incapacity for speech but does not necessarily imply a lack of intelligence.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023
In contrast, “thick” can refer to density or viscosity of a fluid or semi-fluid substance. When someone says, “The sauce is too thick,” it means that the sauce has a dense or viscous consistency. It can also refer to a close gathering of objects or individuals, like a thick crowd, reflecting density rather than any implication of intelligence.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 22, 2023
In conclusion, while “dumb” and “thick” have colloquial overlap relating to perceived lack of intelligence, their primary definitions are distinct, with “dumb” relating to speech and “thick” to density or dimension.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023
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Comparison Chart

Primary Meaning

Unable to speak.
Having a large distance between opposite sides.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Colloquial Use

Lacking intelligence.
Slow to understand; dense (both in mind and matter).
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Context

Can denote silence or a lack of sound.
Refers to the density or viscosity of objects or fluids.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Expressiveness

Often used to express frustration or disbelief at someone’s actions.
Used to describe the physical state or appearance of objects.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 22, 2023

Application

Applied to people, actions, or decisions.
Applied to objects, substances, and occasionally, people.
Sara Rehman
Sep 22, 2023
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Dumb and Thick Definitions

Dumb

Lacking the power of speech.
The illness left him dumb.
Harlon Moss
Sep 22, 2023

Thick

Viscous; not flowing easily.
The sauce is too thick.
Harlon Moss
Sep 22, 2023

Dumb

Lacking intelligence.
It was a dumb idea to go out in the rain.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 22, 2023

Thick

Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite, usually in the smallest solid dimension; not thin
A thick board.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Made, done, or seeming stupid.
He gave a dumb response to the question.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023
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Thick

Measuring a specified number of units in this dimension
Two inches thick.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Temporarily unable or unwilling to speak.
She was dumb with shock.
Sara Rehman
Sep 22, 2023

Thick

Heavy in form, build, or stature; thickset
A thick neck.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Showing a lack of judgment, sense, or reason; foolish.
That was a dumb mistake.
Harlon Moss
Sep 22, 2023

Thick

Having component parts in a close, crowded state or arrangement; dense
A thick forest.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Lacking the power of speech. Used of animals and inanimate objects.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Having or suggesting a heavy or viscous consistency
Thick tomato sauce.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(Offensive) Incapable of using speech; mute. Used of humans. See Usage Note at mute.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Having a great number; abounding
A room thick with flies.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Temporarily speechless, as with shock or fear
I was dumb with disbelief.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Impenetrable by the eyes
A thick fog.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Unwilling to speak; taciturn.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Hard to hear or understand, as from being husky or slurred
Thick speech.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Not expressed or articulated in sounds or words
Dumb resentment.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Very noticeable; pronounced
Has a thick accent.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(Nautical) Not self-propelling.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(Informal) Lacking mental agility; stupid.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Conspicuously unintelligent; stupid
Dumb officials.
A dumb decision.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(Informal) Very friendly; intimate
Thick friends.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Unintentional; haphazard
Dumb luck.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(Informal) Going beyond what is tolerable; excessive.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

To make silent or dumb.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

In a thick manner; deeply or heavily
Seashells lay thick on the beach.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(dated) Unable to speak; lacking power of speech (kept in "deaf, dumb, and blind").
His younger brother was born dumb, and communicated with sign language.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

In a close, compact state or arrangement; densely
Dozens of braids hung thick from the back of her head.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(dated) Silent; unaccompanied by words.
Dumb show
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

So as to be thick; thickly
Slice the bread thick for the best French toast.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Extremely stupid.
You are so dumb! You don't even know how to make toast!
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

The thickest part.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(figuratively) Pointless, foolish, lacking intellectual content or value.
This is dumb! We're driving in circles! We should have asked for directions an hour ago!
Brendan had the dumb job of moving boxes from one conveyor belt to another.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

The most active or intense part
In the thick of the fighting.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Lacking brightness or clearness, as a colour.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

To silence.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Measuring a certain number of units in this dimension.
I want some planks that are two inches thick.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(transitive) To make stupid.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Heavy in build; thickset.
He had such a thick neck that he had to turn his body to look to the side.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(transitive) To represent as stupid.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Densely crowded or packed.
We walked through thick undergrowth.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

(transitive) To reduce the intellectual demands of.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Having a viscous consistency.
My mum’s gravy was thick but at least it moved about.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Destitute of the power of speech; unable; to utter articulate sounds; as, the dumb brutes.
To unloose the very tongues even of dumb creatures.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Abounding in number.
The room was thick with reporters.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Not willing to speak; mute; silent; not speaking; not accompanied by words; as, dumb show.
This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him.
To pierce into the dumb past.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Impenetrable to sight.
We drove through thick fog.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color.
Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(Of an accent) Prominent, strong.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

To put to silence.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Greatly evocative of one's nationality or place of origin.
He answered me in his characteristically thick Creole patois.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity;
So dense he never understands anything I say to him
Never met anyone quite so dim
Although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick
Dumb officials make some really dumb decisions
He was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse
Worked with the slow students
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Difficult to understand, or poorly articulated.
We had difficulty understanding him with his thick accent.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Unable to speak temporarily;
Struck dumb
Speechless with shock
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(informal) Stupid.
He was as thick as two short planks.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Lacking the power of human speech;
Dumb animals
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(informal) Friendly or intimate.
They were as thick as thieves.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Dumb

Unable to speak because of hereditary deafness
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Deep, intense, or profound.
Thick darkness.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(academic) Detailed and expansive; substantive.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Troublesome; unreasonable
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Curvy and voluptuous, and especially having large hips.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

In a thick manner.
Snow lay thick on the ground.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Frequently or numerously.
The arrows flew thick and fast around us.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

The thickest, or most active or intense, part of something.
It was mayhem in the thick of battle.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

A thicket.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(slang) A stupid person; a fool.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

To thicken.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Measuring in the third dimension other than length and breadth, or in general dimension other than length; - said of a solid body; as, a timber seven inches thick.
Were it as thick as is a branched oak.
My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Having more depth or extent from one surface to its opposite than usual; not thin or slender; as, a thick plank; thick cloth; thick paper; thick neck.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Dense; not thin; inspissated; as, thick vapors. Also used figuratively; as, thick darkness.
Make the gruel thick and slab.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Not transparent or clear; hence, turbid, muddy, or misty; as, the water of a river is apt to be thick after a rain.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Abundant, close, or crowded in space; closely set; following in quick succession; frequently recurring.
The people were gathered thick together.
Black was the forest; thick with beech it stood.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Not having due distinction of syllables, or good articulation; indistinct; as, a thick utterance.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Deep; profound; as, thick sleep.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Dull; not quick; as, thick of fearing.
His dimensions to any thick sight were invincible.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Intimate; very friendly; familiar.
We have been thick ever since.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

The thickest part, or the time when anything is thickest.
In the thick of the dust and smoke.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

A thicket; as, gloomy thicks.
Through the thick they heard one rudely rush.
He through a little window cast his sightThrough thick of bars, that gave a scanty light.
Through thick and thin she followed him.
He became the panegyrist, through thick and thin, of a military frenzy.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Frequently; fast; quick.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Closely; as, a plat of ground thick sown.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

To a great depth, or to a greater depth than usual; as, land covered thick with manure.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

To thicken.
The nightmare Life-in-death was she,Who thicks man's blood with cold.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

The location of something surrounded by other things;
In the midst of the crowd
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions;
An inch thick
A thick board
A thick sandwich
Spread a thick layer of butter
Thick coating of dust
Thick warm blankets
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Closely crowded together;
A compact shopping center
A dense population
Thick crowds
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Relatively dense in consistency;
Thick cream
Thick soup
Thick smoke
Thick fog
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Spoken as if with a thick tongue;
The thick speech of a drunkard
His words were slurred
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Wide from side to side;
A heavy black mark
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Hard to pass through because of dense growth;
Dense vegetation
Thick woods
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(of darkness) very intense;
Thick night
Thick darkness
A face in deep shadow
Deep night
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Abundant;
A thick head of hair
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Heavy and compact in form or stature;
A wrestler of compact build
He was tall and heavyset
Stocky legs
A thick middle-aged man
A thickset young man
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

(used informally) associated on close terms;
A close friend
The bartender was chummy with the regular customers
The two were thick as thieves for months
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Used informally
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Abundantly covered or filled;
The top was thick with dust
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

With a thick consistency;
The blood was flowing thick
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

In quick succession;
Misfortunes come fast and thick
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 20, 2023

Thick

Having a relatively great depth or distance from one surface to the opposite.
The wall is two feet thick.
Janet White
Sep 22, 2023

Thick

Having component parts in a close, crowded state or arrangement; dense.
A thick forest.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Thick

(Informal) Lacking perception; slow-witted.
He is thick if he doesn’t understand that.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Thick

Abundant, concentrated; intense.
The air was thick with smoke.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

FAQs

Can “thick” refer to density of substances?

Yes, “thick” can describe the density or viscosity of substances.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Is “dumb” related to silence?

Yes, “dumb” can relate to being silent or not producing sound.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 22, 2023

Does “dumb” always mean unintelligent?

No, “dumb” primarily means unable to speak; unintelligent is a colloquial use.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Does “thick” always relate to physical dimensions?

No, it can also refer informally to lack of perception or understanding.
Harlon Moss
Sep 22, 2023

Is “dumb” used to describe mute people?

Historically, yes, but it’s considered outdated and offensive in this context today.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 22, 2023

Can “thick” describe a person's mental acuity?

Informally, yes; it can imply someone is slow to understand, but it’s potentially offensive.
Sara Rehman
Sep 22, 2023

Is “dumb” offensive when referring to intelligence?

Yes, it can be perceived as derogatory and offensive; careful use is advised.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Can “thick” be used to describe crowded situations?

Yes, it can describe areas or situations where objects or people are densely packed.
Sara Rehman
Sep 22, 2023

Is it appropriate to use “dumb” to describe unwise decisions?

It’s colloquially used this way, but it can be insensitive or offensive to some.
Harlon Moss
Sep 22, 2023

Does “dumb” imply temporary speechlessness?

Yes, it can imply being temporarily unable or unwilling to speak due to surprise or shock.
Janet White
Sep 22, 2023

Does “thick” relate to intense or concentrated states?

Yes, it can refer to situations or environments that are intense, concentrated, or abundant in some elements.
Harlon Moss
Sep 22, 2023

Can “thick” mean close in proximity?

Yes, it can mean close in relationship or proximity, e.g., “They are thick as thieves.”
Janet White
Sep 22, 2023

Can “thick” be used to describe fluid consistency?

Yes, it can describe the viscosity or density of a fluid or semi-fluid substance.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023

Is “dumb” used as a noun?

Rarely, but it can be used as a noun, historically referring to a mute person, which is now considered offensive.
Harlon Moss
Sep 22, 2023

Is “dumb” a slang term?

It has slang uses, especially when referring to perceived lack of intelligence or unwise decisions.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 22, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira Riaz
Sawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma Saeed
Huma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.

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