🥣 Somewhat thick 🤔 A bit slow

thickish

7.9

A little slow to understand things

adjective
/ˈθɪkɪʃ/

Offensive

: tonto

Although he is kind, he can be a bit thickish when it comes to understanding complex ideas.

Examples

She found it frustrating that her brother was so thickish about the rules of the game.
At first, she thought him perplexingly different, grossly thickish, lumpish, and with thinning hair; and then, this absurd situation, to have him with her moving along in the lower level of the main building of the National Gallery.

Fiction book (1991)
Despite having a thickish personality, he always tried to support his friends.

Synonyms

thick

vsthickish

Offensive

35 8.2

Not very smart and slow to understand

is softer, suggesting only a small lack of quickness rather than full stupidity

dense

vsthickish

Offensive

28 6.8

Slow to understand what others explain

is milder, meaning only a slight slowness rather than clear stupidity

dim

vsthickish

Offensive

24 6.5

Slow to understand and not quick to learn

is slightly milder, stressing a gentle slowness rather than clear dullness

thick-skulled

vsthickish

Offensive

9 8.1

Not quick to understand or learn new things

is gentler, focusing on slight slowness rather than firm insult

thickheaded

vsthickish

Offensive

4 7.9

Slow to understand simple ideas or instructions

is less harsh, implying slight slowness rather than outright stupidity

lumpish

vsthickish

Offensive

1 8.8

Slow to understand or think clearly

is milder, pointing to only a little slowness rather than strong sluggishness

dullish

vsthickish

Offensive

1 5.8

Slow to understand things

is an informal word for being slightly slow to understand

soft-witted

vsthickish

Offensive

8.8

A person who is slow to understand and easily fooled

is milder, meaning only a small delay in understanding rather than poor judgment

duncish

vsthickish

Offensive

9.9

Slow to understand things and often acting foolishly

is less insulting, referring to modest slowness rather than schoolroom shame

thicky

vsthickish

Offensive

9.9

A rude word for a person who is slow to understand

is the softer notion meaning only a slight lack of quickness

Antonyms

bright

315 1.2

Quick to learn and understand new things

How Smart

smart

∞ 1.9

bright

315 1.2

average

∞ 1.0

slow-witted

Offensive

4 6.7

thickish

Offensive

7.9

stupid

Offensive

∞ 1.0

idiotic

Offensive

103 4.4

Surface Forms

thickish positive

Morphology

thickish = thick (semi-transparent) = thick + ish

The adjective is formed from 'thick' + '-ish' but relies on the colloquial figurative sense of 'thick' = 'slow-witted', which not all learners will know from the physical sense.

Etymology

Thickish can also come from the informal use of thick meaning 'slow to understand', plus -ish, so it means 'somewhat slow' or 'a bit stupid'. That's why calling someone thickish suggests they are a little slow to get an idea.