Thick vs. Big — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 1, 2024
"Thick" describes something with substantial depth or width, often used for objects or body types, while "big" refers to large size or volume in a more general sense.
Difference Between Thick and Big
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Thick" specifically refers to the dimension between two surfaces of an object, indicating a considerable distance or density. For instance, a book can be thick if it has many pages, emphasizing its width or depth rather than its height or length. Conversely, "big" is a more inclusive term that describes an object or entity with large overall dimensions or significant volume, not limited to any specific dimension. A building can be big, referring to its height, area, and volume collectively.
When describing physical attributes, "thick" is often used to denote a specific aspect of body shape, particularly in reference to muscular or fleshly density. It carries a positive connotation in certain cultural contexts, especially when describing human figures that are robust or well-proportioned. On the other hand, "big" when applied to body size, can either be neutral or carry implications of bulkiness or large overall body mass, without the nuance of muscularity or proportion that "thick" might suggest.
In terms of usage, "thick" can also relate to concepts like density or concentration, such as in "thick fog" or "thick soup," where it describes the compactness or the lack of fluidity. "Big," however, is used to express significance or importance beyond just physical size, such as in "big idea" or "big decision," indicating the considerable impact or scope of something.
"Thick" and "big" also differ in their colloquial and metaphorical applications. "Thick" can describe someone as not easily understanding or slow to comprehend, often used in phrases like "thick-headed," whereas "big" can denote generosity or maturity, as in "big-hearted" or "big of you." These metaphorical uses highlight the versatility of both terms beyond their literal meanings related to size or volume.
Both terms play significant roles in language, offering nuanced ways to describe objects, people, and concepts. While "thick" often points to specific attributes of depth, density, or concentration, "big" offers a broader description of size, significance, or impact, making both terms valuable for conveying different aspects of largeness or significance.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Describes substantial depth or width of an object.
Refers to large size or volume in a general sense.
Application
Often used for objects or specific body types.
Applies to overall dimensions, significance, or volume.
Connotations
Can be positive when describing body shapes.
Neutral or varies, can imply bulkiness or significance.
Metaphorical Uses
"Thick-headed" (slow to understand), "thick fog" (dense).
"Big-hearted" (generous), "big idea" (significant).
Specificity
Specific to depth or density.
General, not limited to a specific dimension.
Examples
A thick book, thick soup, thick muscles.
A big house, big decision, big person.
Colloquial Meaning
Dense or not easily penetrable.
Large in size or importance.
Compare with Definitions
Thick
Dense or concentrated in composition.
The chef served a thick stew full of vegetables.
Big
Of large size, extent, or intensity.
They moved to a big city to find better job opportunities.
Thick
Having considerable depth or density.
The forest was too thick to navigate through easily.
Big
Generous or magnanimous in nature.
He's known for his big heart and volunteer work.
Thick
Describing a body type with substantial muscle or flesh.
He admired her thick, athletic build.
Big
Exaggerating or boasting about something.
He's always talking big, but rarely follows through.
Thick
Impenetrable or difficult to see through.
The thick fog made driving on the highway dangerous.
Big
Significant in impact or importance.
She was faced with a big decision about her career.
Thick
Slow to understand or perceive.
They jokingly called him thick when he missed the obvious hint.
Big
Adult or mature.
Her son was getting big and starting school soon.
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
Big
Of considerable size or extent
Big staff cuts
Big buildings
Her big hazel eyes
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
Big
Of considerable importance or seriousness
It's a big decision
His biggest problem is money
He made a big mistake
Thick
(of a liquid or a semi-liquid substance) relatively firm in consistency; not flowing freely
Thick mud
Big
Generous
‘I'm inclined to take pity on you.’ ‘That's big of you!’
Thick
Of low intelligence; stupid
He's a bit thick
Big
Praise or recommend something highly
The record's been on the streets a while now, but it's still worth bigging up
Thick
(of a voice) not clear or distinct; hoarse or husky
Guy's voice was thick with desire
A snarling thick voice
Big
The major league in a professional sport
The day he made it to the bigs, he forgot every minor league ballpark he ever played in
Thick
Having a very close, friendly relationship
He's very thick with the new master
Big
Of considerable size, number, quantity, magnitude, or extent; large.
Thick
The most active or crowded part of something
We were in the thick of the battle
Big
Having great strength or force
A big wind.
In a big rage.
Thick
In or with deep, dense, or heavy mass
Bread spread thick with butter
Big
Of great significance; momentous
A big decision.
A big victory.
Thick
Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite, usually in the smallest solid dimension; not thin
A thick board.
Big
Mature or grown-up
Big enough to take the bus by herself.
Thick
Measuring a specified number of units in this dimension
Two inches thick.
Big
Older or eldest. Used especially of a sibling
My big brother is leaving for college next week.
Thick
Heavy in form, build, or stature; thickset
A thick neck.
Big
Filled up; brimming over
Felt big with love.
Thick
Having component parts in a close, crowded state or arrangement; dense
A thick forest.
Big
Bountiful; generous
Had a big heart.
Thick
Having or suggesting a heavy or viscous consistency
Thick tomato sauce.
Big
Pregnant
Big with child.
Thick
Having a great number; abounding
A room thick with flies.
Big
Having or exercising considerable authority, control, or influence
A big official.
A big chief.
Thick
Impenetrable by the eyes
A thick fog.
Big
Conspicuous in position, wealth, or importance; prominent
A big figure in the peace movement.
Thick
Hard to hear or understand, as from being husky or slurred
Thick speech.
Big
Loud and firm; resounding
A big voice.
Thick
Very noticeable; pronounced
Has a thick accent.
Big
(Informal) Widely liked, used, or practiced; popular
"The Minneapolis indie-rock band was big in the blogosphere, beloved by hipsters, and unknown to pretty much everyone else" (Robert Levine).
Thick
(Informal) Lacking mental agility; stupid.
Big
(Informal) Self-important; cocky
You're too big for your own good.
Thick
(Informal) Very friendly; intimate
Thick friends.
Big
In a pretentious or boastful way
Talked big about the new job.
Thick
(Informal) Going beyond what is tolerable; excessive.
Big
With considerable success
Made it big with their recent best-selling album.
Thick
In a thick manner; deeply or heavily
Seashells lay thick on the beach.
Big
In a thorough or unmistakable way; emphatically
Failed big at the box office.
Thick
In a close, compact state or arrangement; densely
Dozens of braids hung thick from the back of her head.
Big
Of great size, large.
Elephants are big animals, and they eat a lot.
Thick
So as to be thick; thickly
Slice the bread thick for the best French toast.
Big
(informal) Fat.
Gosh, she is big!
Thick
The thickest part.
Big
Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.
She was big with child.
Thick
The most active or intense part
In the thick of the fighting.
Big
(informal) Well-endowed, possessing large breasts in the case of a woman or a large penis in the case of a man.
Whoa, Nadia has gotten pretty big since she hit puberty.
Thick
Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension.
Big
(informal) Adult; (of a child) older.
Kids should get help from big people if they want to use the kitchen.
We were just playing, and then some big kids came and chased us away.
She did it all on her own like a big girl.
Thick
Measuring a certain number of units in this dimension.
I want some planks that are two inches thick.
Big
Old, mature. Used to imply that somebody is too old for something, or acting immaturely.
Thick
Heavy in build; thickset.
He had such a thick neck that he had to turn his body to look to the side.
Big
.informal Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.
That's very big of you; thank you!
I tried to be the bigger person and just let it go, but I couldn't help myself.
Thick
Densely crowded or packed.
We walked through thick undergrowth.
Big
(informal) Important or significant.
What's so big about that? I do it all the time.
Thick
Having a viscous consistency.
My mum’s gravy was thick but at least it moved about.
Big
Popular.
That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.
Thick
Abounding in number.
The room was thick with reporters.
Big
(of a city) Populous.
Thick
Impenetrable to sight.
We drove through thick fog.
Big
(informal) Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns
You are a big liar.
Why are you in such a big hurry?
Thick
(Of an accent) Prominent, strong.
Big
Operating on a large scale, especially if therefore having undue or sinister influence.
There were concerns about the ethics of big pharma.
Big money
Big Tech, Big Steel (large or influential tech or steel companies)
Big Science (science performed by large terms, of large scope, with government or corporate funding)
Thick
Greatly evocative of one's nationality or place of origin.
He answered me in his characteristically thick Creole patois.
Big
Enthusiastic (about).
I'm not big on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.
Thick
Difficult to understand, or poorly articulated.
We had difficulty understanding him with his thick accent.
Big
In a loud manner.
Thick
(informal) Stupid.
He was as thick as two short planks.
Big
In a boasting manner.
He's always talking big, but he never delivers.
Thick
(informal) Friendly or intimate.
They were as thick as thieves.
Big
In a large amount or to a large extent.
He won big betting on the croquet championship.
Thick
Deep, intense, or profound.
Thick darkness.
Big
On a large scale, expansively.
You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.
Thick
(academic) Detailed and expansive; substantive.
Big
Hard.
He hit him big and the guy just crumpled.
Thick
Troublesome; unreasonable
Big
An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.
Thick
Curvy and voluptuous, and especially having large hips.
Big
(in the plural) The big leagues, big time.
Thick
In a thick manner.
Snow lay thick on the ground.
Big
(university slang) A initiated member of a sorority who acts as a mentor to a new member (the little).
Thick
Frequently or numerously.
The arrows flew thick and fast around us.
Big
(BDSM) The participant in ageplay who acts out the older role.
Thick
The thickest, or most active or intense, part of something.
It was mayhem in the thick of battle.
Big
One or more kinds of barley, especially six-rowed barley.
Thick
A thicket.
Big
To inhabit; occupy.
Thick
(slang) A stupid person; a fool.
Big
To locate oneself.
Thick
To thicken.
Big
To build; erect; fashion.
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.
Big
To dwell; have a dwelling.
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.
Big
Having largeness of size; of much bulk or magnitude; of great size; large.
Thick
Dense; not thin; inspissated; as, thick vapors. Also used figuratively; as, thick darkness.
Make the gruel thick and slab.
Big
Great with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce; - often figuratively.
[Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.
Thick
Not transparent or clear; hence, turbid, muddy, or misty; as, the water of a river is apt to be thick after a rain.
Big
Having greatness, fullness, importance, inflation, distention, etc., whether in a good or a bad sense; as, a big heart; a big voice; big looks; to look big. As applied to looks, it indicates haughtiness or pride.
God hath not in heaven a bigger argument.
I talked big to them at first.
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.
Big
Barley, especially the hardy four-rowed kind.
"Bear interchanges in local use, now with barley, now with bigg."
Thick
Not having due distinction of syllables, or good articulation; indistinct; as, a thick utterance.
Big
To build.
Thick
Deep; profound; as, thick sleep.
Big
Above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent;
A large city
Set out for the big city
A large sum
A big (or large) barn
A large family
Big businesses
A big expenditure
A large number of newspapers
A big group of scientists
Large areas of the world
Thick
Dull; not quick; as, thick of fearing.
His dimensions to any thick sight were invincible.
Big
Significant;
Graduation was a big day in his life
Thick
Intimate; very friendly; familiar.
We have been thick ever since.
Big
Of very great significance;
Deciding to drop the atom bomb was a very big decision
A momentous event
Thick
The thickest part, or the time when anything is thickest.
In the thick of the dust and smoke.
Big
Conspicuous in position or importance;
A big figure in the movement
Big man on campus
He's very large in financial circles
A prominent citizen
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.
Big
Very intense;
A bad headache
In a big rage
Had a big (or bad) shock
A bad earthquake
A bad storm
Thick
Frequently; fast; quick.
Big
Loud and firm;
A big voice
Big bold piano sounds
Thick
Closely; as, a plat of ground thick sown.
Big
Prodigious;
Big spender
Big eater
Heavy investor
Thick
To a great depth, or to a greater depth than usual; as, land covered thick with manure.
Big
(of animals) fully developed;
An adult animal
A grown woman
Thick
The location of something surrounded by other things;
In the midst of the crowd
Big
Marked by intense physical force;
A big wind
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
Big
Feeling self-importance;
Too big for his britches
Had a swelled head
He was swelled with pride
Thick
Closely crowded together;
A compact shopping center
A dense population
Thick crowds
Big
Older brother or sister;
Big sister
Thick
Relatively dense in consistency;
Thick cream
Thick soup
Thick smoke
Thick fog
Big
Exhibiting self-importance;
Big talk
Thick
Spoken as if with a thick tongue;
The thick speech of a drunkard
His words were slurred
Big
Generous and understanding and tolerant;
A heart big enough to hold no grudges
That's very big of you to be so forgiving
A large and generous spirit
A large heart
Magnanimous toward his enemies
Thick
Wide from side to side;
A heavy black mark
Big
Given or giving freely;
Was a big tipper
The bounteous goodness of God
Bountiful compliments
A freehanded host
A handsome allowance
Saturday's child is loving and giving
A liberal backer of the arts
A munificent gift
Her fond and openhanded grandfather
Thick
Hard to pass through because of dense growth;
Dense vegetation
Thick woods
Big
In an advanced stage of pregnancy;
Was big with child
Was great with child
Thick
(of darkness) very intense;
Thick night
Thick darkness
A face in deep shadow
Deep night
Big
Extremely well;
His performance went over big
Thick
Abundant;
A thick head of hair
Big
In a boastful manner;
He talked big all evening
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
Big
On a grand scale;
Think big
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
Big
In a major way;
The play failed big at the box office
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
Common Curiosities
How can "big" express significance beyond physical size?
"Big" can denote the importance or impact of an idea, action, or decision, not just physical dimensions.
Can "big" and "thick" be used interchangeably?
Not always, as "big" refers to overall size or importance, while "thick" focuses on depth or density.
What makes something "thick" in terms of food or fog?
In these contexts, "thick" describes a high concentration or density, making the substance dense or hard to see through.
Is "thick" always a positive description when applied to body types?
While often positive, particularly in certain cultural contexts, its perception can vary based on individual preferences and societal standards.
How does culture influence the perception of "thick" and "big"?
Cultural norms and values can shape how positively or negatively these descriptions are perceived, especially regarding body image.
Are there negative connotations to using "thick" or "big"?
While both can have positive uses, they might carry negative implications if used to imply slowness of understanding (thick) or undesirably large size (big).
What does it mean when something is described as "thick"?
It means the object has considerable depth, density, or is densely packed.
Can the context change the meaning of "thick" and "big"?
Absolutely, context is crucial in determining whether these terms are used literally, metaphorically, or with positive or negative connotations.
How do "thick" and "big" relate to physical fitness or health?
"Thick" may imply a solid, muscular build, while "big" could refer to both muscular and overall body size, each with different health implications.
Why might someone use "big" to describe their feelings or actions?
Using "big" in this way can emphasize the depth or generosity of one's emotions or the significance of one's actions.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
