Dictionary

thicken en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈθɪkən/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English thickenen, thikkenen, perhaps from Old Norse þykkna (“to thicken”); equivalent to thick + -en. Cognate with Swedish tjockna (“to thicken”), Icelandic þykkna (“to thicken”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make thicker (in the sense of wider).
2. (transitive) To make thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
   • to thicken a sauce
3. (intransitive) To become thicker (in the sense of wider).
   • As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time. 2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:
4. (intransitive) To become thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
5. (transitive) To strengthen; to confirm.
   • And this may helpe to thicken other proofes,/ That do demonstrate thinly. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
6. (transitive) To make more frequent.
   • to thicken blows
7. (literary) To make more detailed or comprehensive.

Forms

Antonyms

water down · thin · dilute

Deriveds

thicken up · thickenable · rethicken · unthicken · hyperthickened · thickener · unthickened · overthicken · nonthickened · the plot thickens

Hyponyms

coagulate · congeal · curdle · curd · jellify · gel

Relateds

compress · viscous

Synonyms

thicken · broaden (make wider) · condense (make more viscous) · inspissate · widen (become wider) · reduce · reinforce · engross · inspissate (become more viscous) · enwiden · incrassate · thick · build up (strengthen)

Translations (94)

sq trash ((intransitive) to become wider) · oc espessir ((intransitive) to become wider) · hu besűrít ((transitive) to make more viscous) · ru утолща́ть ((transitive) to make wider) · es engrosarse ((intransitive) to become wider) · bg удебелявам се ((intransitive) to become wider) · gl espesar ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · fr s'épaissir ((intransitive) to become wider) · pl grubieć ((intransitive) to become wider) · hu vastagodik ((intransitive) to become wider) · mi ete ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · es espesarse ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · hu vastagszik ((intransitive) to become wider) · fr s'épaissir ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · io dikigar ((transitive) to make wider) · uk густи́ти ((transitive) to make more viscous) · tr kalınlaşmak ((intransitive) to become wider) · ar عَقَّدَ ((transitive) to make more viscous) · fr lier ((transitive) to make more viscous) · ca espessir ((transitive) to make wider) · ru сгуща́ться ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · es engruesar ((intransitive) to become wider) · gl entestar ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · hu sűrít ((transitive) to make more viscous) · ru сгуща́ть ((transitive) to make more viscous) · es embastecer ((intransitive) to become wider) · fr se densifier ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · ru утолща́ться ((intransitive) to become wider) · fi paksuntaa ((transitive) to make wider) · la lato ((transitive) to make wider) · fr épaissir ((transitive) to make more viscous) · hu habar ((transitive) to make more viscous) · es embarnecer ((intransitive) to become wider) · it infittire ((transitive) to make wider) · tr kalınlaştırmak ((transitive) to make wider) · oc espessir ((transitive) to make more viscous) · lv biezināt ((transitive) to make more viscous) · fr épaissir ((intransitive) to become wider) · hu megvastagít ((transitive) to make wider) · pl zgrubieć ((intransitive) to become wider) · hu megvastagodik ((intransitive) to become wider) · ru сгусти́ть ((transitive) to make more viscous) · ca espessir ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · es espesar ((transitive) to make more viscous) · bg сгъстяван ((transitive) to make more viscous) · fi paksuuntua ((intransitive) to become wider) · uk згуща́ти ((transitive) to make more viscous) · ca espessir ((intransitive) to become wider) · es espesar ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · io denseskar ((transitive) to make more viscous) · hu megvastagszik ((intransitive) to become wider) · oc espessir ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · fi paksuuntua ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · pl zgęstnieć ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · sq trash ((transitive) to make wider) · ru сгусти́ться ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · nl verbreden ((transitive) to make wider) · gl espesar ((transitive) to make more viscous) · pl gęstnieć ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · fi paksuntaa ((transitive) to make more viscous) · uk згу́щувати ((transitive) to make more viscous) · es engrosar ((transitive) to make wider) · sq shtoj ((transitive) to make more viscous) · hu vastagít ((transitive) to make wider) · pl zagęszczać ((transitive) to make more viscous) · fr épaissir ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · hu sűrűsödik ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · hu besűrűsödik ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · bg сгъстявам се ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · bg удебелявам ((transitive) to make wider) · ota قویولمق ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · pl pogrubić ((transitive) to make wider) · oc espessir ((transitive) to make wider) · ru утолсти́ть ((transitive) to make wider) · pl pogrubiać ((transitive) to make wider) · cs houstnout ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · fi sakeuttaa ((transitive) to make more viscous) · uk згусти́ти ((transitive) to make more viscous) · es engrosar ((intransitive) to become wider) · fr épaissir ((transitive) to make wider) · nl verbreden ((intransitive) to become wider) · es engruesar ((transitive) to make wider) · gl entestar ((transitive) to make more viscous) · fi saeta ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · it infittirsi ((intransitive) to become wider) · pl zagęścić ((transitive) to make more viscous) · fi sakeutua ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · hu behabar ((transitive) to make more viscous) · sq zgjeroj ((intransitive) to become wider) · ar غَلَّظَ ((transitive) to make wider) · io densigar ((transitive) to make more viscous) · ca espessir ((transitive) to make more viscous) · nl verdikken ((intransitive) to become more viscous) · ru утолсти́ться ((intransitive) to become wider)