From Middle English trimen, trymen, trümen, from Old English trymman (“to make firm; strengthen”), from Proto-West Germanic *trummjan, from Proto-Germanic *trumjaną (“to make fast; strengthen”), from Proto-Germanic *trumaz (“firm; strong; sound”).
Meanings
Physically fit.
He goes jogging every day to keep in trim.
Slender, lean.
a trim figure
Neat or smart in appearance.
“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable,[…]. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
[…]manhood is melted into curtsies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie and swears it. 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
de gepflegt (neat, smart appearance) · de fit (fit) · it snello (slender, lean) · bg спретнат (neat, smart appearance) · it in forma (fit) · ru опря́тный (neat, smart appearance) · de schlank (slender, lean)
From Middle English trimen, trymen, trümen, from Old English trymman (“to make firm; strengthen”), from Proto-West Germanic *trummjan, from Proto-Germanic *trumjaną (“to make fast; strengthen”), from Proto-Germanic *trumaz (“firm; strong; sound”).
Meanings
(not-comparable) In good order; properly managed or maintained.
From Middle English trimen, trymen, trümen, from Old English trymman (“to make firm; strengthen”), from Proto-West Germanic *trummjan, from Proto-Germanic *trumjaną (“to make fast; strengthen”), from Proto-Germanic *trumaz (“firm; strong; sound”).
Meanings
(uncountable) Decoration; especially, decoration placed along edges or borders.
Paint the house white with blue trim.
(countable) A haircut, especially a moderate one to touch up an existing style.
I went to the hairdresser for a trim but came back nearly bald.
(countable, uncountable) Dress; gear; ornaments.
It was the Winter wilde.
While the Heav’n-born-childe,
All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies:
Nature in aw to him
Had doff't her gawdy trim,
With her great Maſter ſo to ſympathize:
It was no ſeaſon then for her
To wanton with the Sun her luſty Paramour. 1646 (indicated as 1645), John Milton, “On the Morning of Christs Nativity”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], →OCLC, page 2:
seeing him just pass the window in his woodland trim 1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC:
(countable) The manner in which something is equipped or adorned; order; disposition.
The measure and whole trim of comeliness 1614, George Chapman, Andromeda Liberata:
In addition to the numerous traction aspects of the unit's restoration, the team had to create a trim shop in the depot to re-upholster hundreds of seat components. 2024 February 7, Philip Haigh, “Railway's fragile resilience”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 3:
to be in good trim
(countable, especially, uncountable) The manner in which something is equipped or adorned; order; disposition. ▸ Features optionally available on a vehicle; an established configuration of such features within a model (a trim level).
This model of car comes in three different trims.
Of the many strategic blunders [Carlos] Tavares made during his four-year reign over what was once a $93 billion conglomerate, perhaps his most egregious was the mismanagement of Jeep, Stellantis' crown jewel. He jacked up prices and increased production of Jeep's most expensive trims, without adequately investing in new products, which left gaping holes in an aging lineup and swelling inventory on dealer lots. The extent of the damage became clear in July 2024, when Stellantis reported that its net income had been cut almost in half. By September, exasperated dealers sent an open letter to Tavares accusing him of destroying the company's brands. 2025 September 11, Gabrielle Coppola, Albertina Torsoli, “The Corporate Saga Behind Jeep's Downfall. An iconic brand mismanaged by a French-Italian-American auto conglomerate, a profit-obsessed CEO and a billionaire dynasty. And that was before Stellantis collided with Trump's trade war”, in Bloomberg Businessweek:
Holonyms: make; model
If you want air conditioning, you'll need to move up to the next trim level.
Now, it [Tesla Inc] has unveiled two long-awaited cheaper electric vehicles that are most definitely not the game-changers once promised. But are they enough to do the job? It depends on what that job is. […] The models — or rather, trims, since they aren’t new vehicles — unveiled Tuesday are about taking away, not adding. […] there has been a steady drumbeat of positive Tesla news since the shareholder proxy containing the compensation vote came out. This includes includes Musk buying a nominal amount of shares, pulled-forward third quarter EV sales, the first big update of the Full Self Driving software since 2024, and now these new trims — despite signaling enervation rather than innovation. It is here that Tesla's latest additions may do the job even if they don't light up the forecourt. 2025 October 7, Liam Denning, “Musk's Cheap Teslas Are the Wrong Kind of Cheap”, in Bloomberg Opinion, retrieved 07 Oct 2025:
Near-synonym: submodel
(of an aircraft, uncountable) The state of adjustment of control surfaces such that the desired attitude can be maintained without requiring the continuous application of force to the cockpit controls.
(broadly, uncountable) The mechanism(s) used to trim an aircraft in roll, pitch, and/or yaw.
(mildly, slang, uncountable, vulgar) The female genitalia.
(broadly, mildly, slang, uncountable, vulgar) Sexual intercourse with a woman.
"Take me somewhere."
His response lacked dignity, but in fairness to him I admit that I had left him little chance to be suave.
He asked, "You mean, you’re going to give me some trim?" 1969, Maya Angelou, chapter 35, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, New York: Bantam, published 1971, pages 239–240:
(countable, uncountable) The fore-and-aft angle of the vessel to the water, with reference to the cargo and ballast; the manner in which a vessel floats on the water, whether on an even keel or down by the head or stern.
(countable, uncountable) The arrangement of the sails with reference to the wind.
(countable, qualifier:binding, uncountable) Any of the three cut edges of book pages, trimmed with a shear after binding.
(uncountable) The horizontal position of an underwater diver
it spuntata (capelli-barba-baffi) (a moderate haircut) · fi trimmaus (a moderate haircut) · fr assiette (the manner in which a vessel floats) · es cenefa (decoration placed along edges or borders) · de Verkleidung (the manner in which something is equipped) · fi trimmi (arrangement of sails relative to the wind) · fr compensateur (the mechanism used to trim an aircraft) · it orientamento (arrangement of sails relative to the wind) · fi varustelutaso (the manner in which something is equipped) · fi reunakoriste (decoration placed along edges or borders) · fr compensation (the state of adjustment of control surfaces such that the desired attitude can be maintained) · de Innenausstattung (the manner in which something is equipped) · de Ausstattung (the manner in which something is equipped) · fi trimmi (the mechanism used to trim an aircraft) · sv trimning (a moderate haircut) · es ribete (decoration placed along edges or borders) · es orla (decoration placed along edges or borders) · fi viimeistely (the manner in which something is equipped) · pt remate (decoration placed along edges or borders) · mi piriniko (decoration placed along edges or borders) · fi tasoitus (a moderate haircut) · it assetto (nave-aereo) (the manner in which a vessel floats) · es orladura (decoration placed along edges or borders) · es festón (decoration placed along edges or borders) · fi tasapaino (the manner in which a vessel floats) · ga bearradh (a moderate haircut) · it sforbiciata (a moderate haircut) · de Trimm (arrangement of sails relative to the wind) · de Segeltrimmung (arrangement of sails relative to the wind) · he שֹׁפַע (the manner in which a vessel floats) · fi kulkuasento (the manner in which a vessel floats) · fi purjeiden asento (arrangement of sails relative to the wind)
From Middle English trimen, trymen, trümen, from Old English trymman (“to make firm; strengthen”), from Proto-West Germanic *trummjan, from Proto-Germanic *trumjaną (“to make fast; strengthen”), from Proto-Germanic *trumaz (“firm; strong; sound”).
Meanings
(transitive) To reduce slightly; to cut; especially, to remove excess.
Place the screen material in the frame, secure it in place, and trim the edges.
He trimmed his beard before the interview.
A ranch steak is usually trimmed of all excess fat.
The hedge needs to be trimmed.
The company trimmed jobs for the second time this year.
(transitive) To decorate or adorn; especially of a Christmas tree.
They traditionally trim the tree on Christmas Eve.
Seats are trimmed in a grey and blue moquette and tables are finished with grey Vyanide tops, gilt edging and ebony legs. 1961 February, “New "Mini-Buffets" from Wolverton”, in Trains Illustrated, page 79:
The half-dozen pieces […] were painted white and carved with festoons of flowers, birds and cupids. […] The bed was the most extravagant piece. Its graceful cane halftester rose high towards the cornice and was so festooned in carved white wood that the effect was positively insecure, as if the great couch were trimmed with icing sugar. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
I was trimmed in Madam Julia's gown. c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
A rotten building newly trimmed over. 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC:
(of an aircraft, transitive) To adjust the positions of control surfaces, sometimes using trim tabs, so as to modify or eliminate the aircraft's tendency to pitch, roll, or yaw when the cockpit controls are released.
(of a vessel, transitive) To modify the angle relative to the water by shifting cargo or ballast; to adjust for sailing; to assume, or cause to assume a certain position, or trim, in the water.
The captain made us trim the boat, and we got her to lie a little more evenly. 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
(of a vessel's sails, transitive) To modify the angle (of the sails) relative to the wind, especially to set them at the most advantageous angle.
(dated) To balance; to fluctuate between parties, so as to appear to favour each.
(transitive) To make trim; to put in due order for any purpose; to make right, neat, or pleasing; to adjust.
The hermit trimmed his little fire. 1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC:
(of timber, transitive) To dress; to make smooth.
(dated, transitive) To rebuke; to reprove.
(dated, transitive) To beat or thrash.
(historical, transitive) To cut back the wick of (a lamp) to maintain a clean, bright flame.
The lamp, or candle, which lights the binnacle, is placed in the cabin, of course the expence of one light is saved, and all the inconveniences of blowing out in a squally night, and likewise the trouble of trimming the lamp, are avoided. 1811, The Tradesman, volume 7, page 420:
(broadly, transitive) To change the carbon rods of (an arc lamp).
To trim an arc lamp, first remove the old carbons and carefully and thoroughly wipe the carbon rods, holders, &c. with a clean, dry rag. […] Having cleaned the rods, next wipe out the globe and get ready the fresh carbons. 1892, English Mechanic and World of Science, page 444: