fine 1 of 5

adjective

ˈfīn How to pronounce fine (audio)
Definition of finenext
1
as in dusty
consisting of very small particles the fine sand found on the island's beaches

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subtle
made or done with extreme care and accuracy the fine distinction between bravery and recklessness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in thin
being of less than usual width use a fine line for the outline of the facial features you intend to carve into the pumpkin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in OK
being to one's liking that arrangement is fine with me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in pure
free from added matter that silver is .9600 fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in accurate
meeting the highest standard of accuracy making the final fine adjustments on the car's GPS

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in adequate
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards the wine steward declared that the complaint of corkiness was unjustified and that the wine was fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in small
of a size that is less than average read the fine print

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in excellent
of the very best kind a fine performance of a classic ballet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in elegant
having qualities that appeal to a refined taste savored every morsel of the restaurant's fine cuisine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences hearing so fine that it can seemingly hear the tiniest twig snap

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in handsome
having or showing elegance a fine old structure in the city's historic district

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fine

2 of 5

noun

as in penalty
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment a $50 fine for speeding

Synonyms & Similar Words

fine

3 of 5

verb (1)

as in to impose
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty the police will fine you for driving with one headlight out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fine

4 of 5

verb (2)

as in to filter
to remove usually visible impurities from the use of egg shells to fine wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fine

5 of 5

adverb

as in good
in a satisfactory way you did just fine on the stress test

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fine
Adjective
But at Edgar Thomson, fine-particle emissions would increase by more than 40%. — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 For a superstar commanding nearly $50 million this season, the fine amounts to little more than loose couch cushion change. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
The fraternity was previously placed on probation, a conditional warning that included fines, following claims of hazing in July. — Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026 Gebran was also given two years of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay $1,365, including a $1,000 fine for animal cruelty and a $50 fine for unlawful discharge of a firearm with additional court costs. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
Line judge Jeff Seeman was fined for apparently cursing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Carrie Tolstedt, Wells Fargo’s former consumer banking chief, was fined $25 million and barred from the industry. — Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Still, these are highly watchable actors, and as a movie to have on in the background while making dinner, Animals — so named for the lawless beast inside all of us, not that there’s much traction in that theme — will play just fine on Netflix. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 Though critics were just given the pilot for review, the episode works fine as a new extension of one of CBS’ longest-running franchises. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fine
  1. dusty
  2. subtle
  3. thin
  4. OK
  5. pure
  6. accurate
  7. adequate
  8. small
Adjective
  • The state was apportioned a bare 300,000 acre-feet a year in 1928, when Las Vegas was merely a dusty outpost miles from the Hoover Dam construction site.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On July 2, 2025, a burst with energy equivalent to 1,000 suns blazing for 10 billion years lit up Fermi’s detectors, heading from a dusty galaxy about eight billion light-years from Earth.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • The rash can be more subtle on darker skin tones, but a bumpy or textured feel is often present.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The last major change was the iPhone X, which dropped the home button almost a decade ago, and even that was a fairly subtle improvement.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • With fewer trainees at the start of the talent pipeline, organizations are likely to face a thinner shortlist for the CFO seat in the future.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Rams are already thin at receiver in the wake of a hamstring injury suffered by Davante Adams during the Rams’ 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • And just remember that ​question for ⁠a couple of days from now, okay?
    — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The police officer, whose name has not been released, was transported to a Plano hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm and is expected to be okay, officials told CBS News Texas.
    — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of OK
Adjective
  • In My Own Words is a product of the enchantment and pure yearning Ne-Yo saw as fundamental to R&B.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils are crafted to deliver long-lasting, natural fragrance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • The forecast is accurate for a day or two but rarely predictive over weeks or months.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The important point is that a label doesn't have to be accurate to influence how a company views you.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of accurate
Adjective
  • County officials responsible for issuing building permits have been accused of failing to conduct adequate inspections to ensure developers comply with safety guidelines and construction standards.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Sorrells has been unwilling to seek adequate budget funding from the Commissioners Court, leaving the office understaffed, according to one of the sources.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of adequate
Adjective
  • Manfred says small-market success is rare, while the union argues the Rays-Brewers World Series matchup shows baseball can work without a cap.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Massachusetts ranks third for the annual cost of raising a small child but 18th over 18 years.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of small

Phrases Containing fine

Browse Nearby Words

finds out
fine
fined
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fine. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fine

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All