thicken C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈθɪkən/ UK /ˈθɪkən/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like sicken /θ/ vs /s/ Meanings 1 verb to make or become thicker or denser Stir the sauce until it begins to thicken. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to make or become thicker... congealcoagulatecondenseclotsetsolidify ↔ Opposites thindiluteliquefy Word family Derived forms thickenerthickening Related forms thickthicknessthickly Etymology AI details From thick (Old English thicce) + the verb-forming suffix -en, from Proto-Germanic *thikkwiz. thicce Old English *thikkwiz Proto-Germanic View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # thicken **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈθɪkən/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈθɪkən/ ## Meanings 1. to make or become thicker or denser ## Examples - Stir the sauce until it begins to thicken. ## Synonyms - congeal - coagulate - condense - clot - set - solidify ## Antonyms - thin - dilute - liquefy ## Derived Forms - thickener - thickening ## Related Forms - thick - thickness - thickly ## Roots and Affixes - Root: thicce - Root: *thikkwiz ## Etymology From thick (Old English thicce) + the verb-forming suffix -en, from Proto-Germanic *thikkwiz. ## AI Etymology Thicken comes from thick (Old English thicce) + the verb-forming suffix -en, from Proto-Germanic *thikkwiz. The historical chain includes Old English thicce and Proto-Germanic *thikkwiz. The formation is best read as suffixal, compound, and borrowed: the word thicken carries its older form-history into a compact English lexical shape. In present English it is used as a verb, "to make or become thicker or denser". English derivatives include thickener and thickening; related English forms include thick, thickness, and thickly. The result is a verb whose etymology preserves both the older form and the later English specialization. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown