Meanings
adjectiverazor-thin (not comparable)
alternative razor thin
- figurativelynot comparableA very small difference, or advantage, when comparing two items.
The Socialists have a razor-thin majority.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveExtremely fine; so thin as to be almost invisible.
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Also see
Origin
First use appears c. 1909, in the Washington Post.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German hauchdünn, hauchdünn
- hauchdünnextremely fine; so thin as to be almost invisible
- hauchdünna very small difference, or advantage, when comparing two items
Polish cieniutki, malutki
- cieniutkiextremely fine; so thin as to be almost invisible
- malutkia very small difference, or advantage, when comparing two items
- maleńkia very small difference, or advantage, when comparing two items
Russian тончайший
- тончайший (tončajšij)extremely fine; so thin as to be almost invisible
Cite this entry
APA
razor-thin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/razor-thin
MLA
“razor-thin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/razor-thin. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “razor-thin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/razor-thin.
Source: razor-thin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.