Dumb vs. Thick — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 15, 2024
"Dumb" refers to a lack of intelligence or the inability to speak, while "thick" colloquially describes someone as slow-witted or not intelligent.
Difference Between Dumb and Thick
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Key Differences
"Dumb" primarily means lacking intelligence or the ability to understand things easily. It can also historically refer to someone who cannot speak, though this usage is now considered outdated and offensive. "Thick," on the other hand, is a colloquial term often used in British English to describe someone as unintelligent or slow to understand. It implies a dullness of mind rather than a complete lack of intelligence.
"Dumb" is more commonly used in American English, whereas "thick" is often heard in British English. Both terms are pejorative and can be offensive when describing someone's intelligence.
"Dumb" can also describe temporary states of confusion or lack of understanding, such as someone feeling dumb about a complex subject. "Thick" more often describes a general state of being slow-witted or not sharp in understanding.
While "dumb" has a broader usage and historical context, including its outdated reference to muteness, "thick" is strictly related to mental slowness or dullness.
"Dumb" can be used in various contexts, such as "playing dumb" to pretend not to understand something. "Thick" has fewer variations and is more consistently applied to describe someone's mental capacity.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
Lacking intelligence
Slow-witted or dull in understanding
Secondary Meaning
Historically, unable to speak
N/A
Common Usage
American English
British English
Context Flexibility
Used to describe temporary or ongoing states
Typically describes a general state
Colloquial Usage
Can describe temporary confusion
Generally describes persistent slowness
Compare with Definitions
Dumb
Historically, unable to speak.
The term dumb to describe mute people is outdated and offensive.
Thick
Slow to understand.
He’s a bit thick when it comes to math.
Dumb
Temporarily unable to respond.
She was struck dumb by the shocking news.
Thick
Not intelligent.
Calling someone thick is rude and unkind.
Dumb
Lacking the power of speech. Used of animals and inanimate objects.
Thick
Showing a lack of quick understanding.
Despite his reputation, he's not as thick as people think.
Dumb
(Offensive) Incapable of using speech; mute. Used of humans. See Usage Note at mute.
Thick
With opposite sides or surfaces that are far or relatively far apart
The walls are 5 feet thick
Thick slices of bread
Thick metal cables
Dumb
Temporarily speechless, as with shock or fear
I was dumb with disbelief.
Thick
Made up of a large number of things or people close together
The road winds through thick forest
His hair was long and thick
Dumb
Unwilling to speak; taciturn.
Thick
(of a liquid or a semi-liquid substance) relatively firm in consistency; not flowing freely
Thick mud
Dumb
Not expressed or articulated in sounds or words
Dumb resentment.
Thick
Of low intelligence; stupid
He's a bit thick
Dumb
(Nautical) Not self-propelling.
Thick
(of a voice) not clear or distinct; hoarse or husky
Guy's voice was thick with desire
A snarling thick voice
Dumb
Conspicuously unintelligent; stupid
Dumb officials.
A dumb decision.
Thick
Having a very close, friendly relationship
He's very thick with the new master
Dumb
Unintentional; haphazard
Dumb luck.
Thick
The most active or crowded part of something
We were in the thick of the battle
Dumb
To make silent or dumb.
Thick
In or with deep, dense, or heavy mass
Bread spread thick with butter
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.
Thick
Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite, usually in the smallest solid dimension; not thin
A thick board.
Dumb
(dated) Silent; unaccompanied by words.
Dumb show
Thick
Measuring a specified number of units in this dimension
Two inches thick.
Dumb
Extremely stupid.
You are so dumb! You don't even know how to make toast!
Thick
Heavy in form, build, or stature; thickset
A thick neck.
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.
Thick
Having component parts in a close, crowded state or arrangement; dense
A thick forest.
Dumb
Lacking brightness or clearness, as a colour.
Thick
Having or suggesting a heavy or viscous consistency
Thick tomato sauce.
Dumb
To silence.
Thick
Having a great number; abounding
A room thick with flies.
Dumb
(transitive) To make stupid.
Thick
Impenetrable by the eyes
A thick fog.
Dumb
(transitive) To represent as stupid.
Thick
Hard to hear or understand, as from being husky or slurred
Thick speech.
Dumb
(transitive) To reduce the intellectual demands of.
Thick
Very noticeable; pronounced
Has a thick accent.
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.
Thick
(Informal) Lacking mental agility; stupid.
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.
Thick
(Informal) Very friendly; intimate
Thick friends.
Dumb
Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color.
Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color.
Thick
(Informal) Going beyond what is tolerable; excessive.
Dumb
To put to silence.
Thick
In a thick manner; deeply or heavily
Seashells lay thick on the beach.
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
Thick
In a close, compact state or arrangement; densely
Dozens of braids hung thick from the back of her head.
Dumb
Unable to speak temporarily;
Struck dumb
Speechless with shock
Thick
So as to be thick; thickly
Slice the bread thick for the best French toast.
Dumb
Lacking the power of human speech;
Dumb animals
Thick
The thickest part.
Dumb
Unable to speak because of hereditary deafness
Thick
The most active or intense part
In the thick of the fighting.
Dumb
Lacking intelligence.
He made a dumb mistake on the test.
Thick
Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension.
Dumb
Unaware or confused.
I felt dumb trying to understand quantum physics.
Thick
Measuring a certain number of units in this dimension.
I want some planks that are two inches thick.
Dumb
Simple or not complicated.
It’s a dumb solution to a complex problem.
Thick
Heavy in build; thickset.
He had such a thick neck that he had to turn his body to look to the side.
Thick
Densely crowded or packed.
We walked through thick undergrowth.
Thick
Having a viscous consistency.
My mum’s gravy was thick but at least it moved about.
Thick
Abounding in number.
The room was thick with reporters.
Thick
Impenetrable to sight.
We drove through thick fog.
Thick
(Of an accent) Prominent, strong.
Thick
Greatly evocative of one's nationality or place of origin.
He answered me in his characteristically thick Creole patois.
Thick
Difficult to understand, or poorly articulated.
We had difficulty understanding him with his thick accent.
Thick
(informal) Stupid.
He was as thick as two short planks.
Thick
(informal) Friendly or intimate.
They were as thick as thieves.
Thick
Deep, intense, or profound.
Thick darkness.
Thick
(academic) Detailed and expansive; substantive.
Thick
Troublesome; unreasonable
Thick
Curvy and voluptuous, and especially having large hips.
Thick
In a thick manner.
Snow lay thick on the ground.
Thick
Frequently or numerously.
The arrows flew thick and fast around us.
Thick
The thickest, or most active or intense, part of something.
It was mayhem in the thick of battle.
Thick
A thicket.
Thick
(slang) A stupid person; a fool.
Thick
To thicken.
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.
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.
Thick
Dense; not thin; inspissated; as, thick vapors. Also used figuratively; as, thick darkness.
Make the gruel thick and slab.
Thick
Not transparent or clear; hence, turbid, muddy, or misty; as, the water of a river is apt to be thick after a rain.
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.
Thick
Not having due distinction of syllables, or good articulation; indistinct; as, a thick utterance.
Thick
Deep; profound; as, thick sleep.
Thick
Dull; not quick; as, thick of fearing.
His dimensions to any thick sight were invincible.
Thick
Intimate; very friendly; familiar.
We have been thick ever since.
Thick
The thickest part, or the time when anything is thickest.
In the thick of the dust and smoke.
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.
Thick
Frequently; fast; quick.
Thick
Closely; as, a plat of ground thick sown.
Thick
To a great depth, or to a greater depth than usual; as, land covered thick with manure.
Thick
To thicken.
The nightmare Life-in-death was she,Who thicks man's blood with cold.
Thick
The location of something surrounded by other things;
In the midst of the crowd
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
Thick
Closely crowded together;
A compact shopping center
A dense population
Thick crowds
Thick
Relatively dense in consistency;
Thick cream
Thick soup
Thick smoke
Thick fog
Thick
Spoken as if with a thick tongue;
The thick speech of a drunkard
His words were slurred
Thick
Wide from side to side;
A heavy black mark
Thick
Hard to pass through because of dense growth;
Dense vegetation
Thick woods
Thick
(of darkness) very intense;
Thick night
Thick darkness
A face in deep shadow
Deep night
Thick
Abundant;
A thick head of hair
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
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
Thick
Used informally
Thick
Abundantly covered or filled;
The top was thick with dust
Thick
With a thick consistency;
The blood was flowing thick
Thick
In quick succession;
Misfortunes come fast and thick
Thick
Dull-witted.
She’s not thick; she just needs more time to understand.
Thick
Colloquial British term for unintelligent.
In his school, they called the least performing students thick.
Common Curiosities
Can "dumb" refer to not speaking?
Historically, yes, but this usage is now outdated and offensive.
Is "thick" commonly used in American English?
No, "thick" is more commonly used in British English.
What does "thick" mean in British slang?
"Thick" in British slang describes someone who is slow-witted or not very intelligent.
What does "dumb" mean?
"Dumb" refers to a lack of intelligence or understanding.
Is "dumb" offensive?
Yes, calling someone "dumb" can be offensive and hurtful.
Can "dumb" describe a temporary state?
Yes, "dumb" can describe temporary confusion or lack of understanding.
Are there polite alternatives to "dumb" and "thick"?
Yes, terms like "uninformed" or "slow to understand" are more polite.
Is "dumb" more flexible in usage than "thick"?
Yes, "dumb" can describe various states, while "thick" consistently refers to being slow-witted.
Can "dumb" be used in positive contexts?
Rarely, it’s usually negative, but phrases like "playing dumb" might be less harsh.
Can "thick" be used in formal writing?
No, "thick" is too colloquial for formal writing.
Are both terms considered pejorative?
Yes, both terms are pejorative and can be offensive.
Does "thick" always mean unintelligent?
Yes, it generally implies a lack of quick understanding or dull-wittedness.
Does "dumb" have multiple meanings?
Yes, it can refer to lack of intelligence or, historically, inability to speak.
Is "thick" used to describe temporary conditions?
No, "thick" typically describes a persistent state of being slow-witted.
Is there a difference in usage between American and British English for these terms?
Yes, "dumb" is more common in American English, while "thick" is used in British English.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
