Meanings
present singular third person thickens · participle present thickening · participle past thickened · past thickened
- intransitiveTo become thicker (in the sense of wider).
1 more example
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 - transitiveTo 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]Synonyms: build up
- literaryTo make more detailed or comprehensive.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make thicker (in the sense of wider).
verbTo become thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
verbTo strengthen; to confirm.
make more viscous
become wider
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Norseþykkna“to thicken”
- Middle Englishthickenen
- Englishthicken
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic غَلَّظَ, عَقَّدَ
- غَلَّظَ (ḡallaẓa)(transitive) to make wider
- عَقَّدَ (ʕaqqada)(transitive) to make more viscous
Bulgarian удебелявам, сгъстяван
- удебелявам (udebeljavam)(transitive) to make wider
- сгъстяван (sgăstjavan)(transitive) to make more viscous
- сгъстявам се (sgăstjavam se)(intransitive) to become more viscous
- удебелявам се (udebeljavam se)(intransitive) to become wider
Catalan espessir, espessir
- espessir(transitive) to make wider
- espessir(transitive) to make more viscous
- espessir(intransitive) to become more viscous
- espessir(intransitive) to become wider
Czech houstnout
- houstnout(intransitive) to become more viscous
Dutch verbreden, verdikken
- verbreden(transitive) to make wider
- verdikken(intransitive) to become more viscous
- verbreden(intransitive) to become wider
Finnish paksuntaa, paksuntaa
- paksuntaa(transitive) to make wider
- paksuntaa(transitive) to make more viscous
- sakeuttaa(transitive) to make more viscous
- paksuuntua(intransitive) to become more viscous
- saeta(intransitive) to become more viscous
- sakeutua(intransitive) to become more viscous
- paksuuntua(intransitive) to become wider
French épaissir, épaissir
- épaissir(transitive) to make wider
- épaissir(transitive) to make more viscous
- lier(transitive) to make more viscous
- s'épaissir(intransitive) to become more viscous
- se densifier(intransitive) to become more viscous
- épaissir(intransitive) to become more viscous
- s'épaissir(intransitive) to become wider
- épaissir(intransitive) to become wider
Hungarian vastagít, megvastagít
- vastagít(transitive) to make wider
- megvastagít(transitive) to make wider
- sűrít(transitive) to make more viscous
- besűrít(transitive) to make more viscous
- habar(transitive) to make more viscous
- behabar(transitive) to make more viscous
- sűrűsödik(intransitive) to become more viscous
- besűrűsödik(intransitive) to become more viscous
- vastagodik(intransitive) to become wider
- megvastagodik(intransitive) to become wider
- vastagszik(intransitive) to become wider
- megvastagszik(intransitive) to become wider
Irish ramhraigh, ramhraigh
- ramhraigh(transitive) to make wider
- ramhraigh(transitive) to make more viscous
- ramhraigh(intransitive) to become more viscous
- ramhraigh(intransitive) to become wider
Italian infittire, infittirsi
- infittire(transitive) to make wider
- infittirsi(intransitive) to become wider
Latin lato
- lato(transitive) to make wider
Latvian biezināt
- biezināt(transitive) to make more viscous
Māori ete
- ete(intransitive) to become more viscous
Polish pogrubiać, pogrubić
- pogrubiać(transitive) to make wider
- pogrubić(transitive) to make wider
- zagęszczać(transitive) to make more viscous
- zagęścić(transitive) to make more viscous
- gęstnieć(intransitive) to become more viscous
- zgęstnieć(intransitive) to become more viscous
- grubieć(intransitive) to become wider
- zgrubieć(intransitive) to become wider
Russian утолща́ть, утолсти́ть
- утолща́ть (utolščátʹ)(transitive) to make wider
- утолсти́ть (utolstítʹ)(transitive) to make wider
- сгуща́ть (sguščátʹ)(transitive) to make more viscous
- сгусти́ть (sgustítʹ)(transitive) to make more viscous
- сгуща́ться (sguščátʹsja)(intransitive) to become more viscous
- сгусти́ться (sgustítʹsja)(intransitive) to become more viscous
- утолща́ться (utolščátʹsja)(intransitive) to become wider
- утолсти́ться (utolstítʹsja)(intransitive) to become wider
Spanish engrosar, engruesar
- engrosar(transitive) to make wider
- engruesar(transitive) to make wider
- espesar(transitive) to make more viscous
- espesar(intransitive) to become more viscous
- espesarse(intransitive) to become more viscous
- engrosar(intransitive) to become wider
- engrosarse(intransitive) to become wider
- engruesar(intransitive) to become wider
- embastecer(intransitive) to become wider
- embarnecer(intransitive) to become wider
Turkish kalınlaştırmak, kalınlaşmak
- kalınlaştırmak(transitive) to make wider
- kalınlaşmak(intransitive) to become wider
Ukrainian густи́ти, згу́щувати
- густи́ти (hustýty)(transitive) to make more viscous
- згу́щувати (zhúščuvaty)(transitive) to make more viscous
- згуща́ти (zhuščáty)(transitive) to make more viscous
- згусти́ти (zhustýty)(transitive) to make more viscous
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with thicken
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
thicken. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thicken
“thicken.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thicken. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thicken,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thicken.
Source: thicken on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.