fine
14 ENTRIES FOUND:
finer;
finest
finer;
finest
Britannica Dictionary definition of FINE
1
a
not used before a noun
:
good, acceptable, or satisfactory
:
ok
-
That's fine with me.
-
“Is there anything wrong?” “No, everything's fine.”
-
The house looks fine to me.
-
“Would you like more coffee?” “No, I'm fine, thanks.” [=I am happy with the amount of coffee I have now]
-
“Would you like more coffee?” “No, this is fine, thanks.” [=no, this is as much as I want]
-
That's just fine and dandy with me. [=that is fine with me; I approve of that]
◊ Fine is often used as a response to show acceptance or approval.
-
“I have to leave early, all right?” “Fine.”
b
— used in an ironic way to refer to things that are not good or acceptable
-
This is a fine mess we're in.
-
“Those kids are no good.” “You're a fine one to talk, considering all the trouble you caused when you were young.” [=you should not say bad things about others because those same things could be said about you]
2
a
always used before a noun
:
very good
-
I think that's a fine idea.
-
You did a fine job.
-
The house is in fine shape.
-
This is a fine example of what can go wrong when one person is given too much power.
-
They make a fine pair. [=they are well suited to each other]
-
She has a fine grasp of the problem. [=she understands the problem very well]
-
He was in fine form. [=he performed very well]
b
always used before a noun
:
deserving praise, admiration, or respect
-
He's a fine young man.
-
a fine musician
-
a fine mind
3
not used before a noun
:
well or healthy
:
not sick or injured
-
I feel fine.
-
“Did you hurt yourself?” “No, I'm fine.”
4
of weather
:
sunny and pleasant
-
a fine spring day
-
The weather has been fine lately.
5
a
:
very thin
-
fine thread/wire/yarn
-
Her head was covered with fine, silky hair.
b
:
very sharp or narrow
:
having a sharp point
-
a knife with a fine edge
-
a pen/brush with a fine tip
c
:
made up of very small pieces, drops, etc.
-
fine sand/dust/powder
-
fine gravel
-
a fine mist/spray
d
:
very small
—
see also fine print
-
The print was so fine that I could barely read it.
-
very fine details on the sculpture
e
:
having very small holes
f
:
small and delicate
-
She has fine features. [=her eyes, nose, and mouth are small and delicate]
6
a
:
small and done with a lot of care and accuracy
-
fine measurements
-
fine movements
b
:
small and difficult to see or understand
:
subtle
-
a fine distinction
-
He's still learning the finer points of the job.
-
Some very fine legal points were involved.
-
There's a fine line [=a very small difference] between being helpful and being intrusive.
7
a
always used before a noun
:
expensive and of high quality
-
fine dining
-
fine china
b
:
formal and graceful
-
fine handwriting
-
His manners are very fine. [=refined]
a fine figure of a man/woman
chance would be a fine thing
finest hour
not to put too fine a point on it
— used in an ironic way to introduce a very strong and usually critical statement
-
Not to put too fine a point on it, (but) his suggestions have been worthless.
-
The onions should be finely chopped. [=should be chopped in small pieces]
-
a finely judged response that was just right
-
a finely balanced election that could go either way
-
the fineness of the thread
-
fineness of detail
2
fine
/ˈfaɪn/
adverb
2
fine
/ˈfaɪn/
adverb
Britannica Dictionary definition of FINE
somewhat informal
1
:
not badly or poorly
:
well enough
-
She did fine on the test.
-
My mother is doing fine, thank you.
-
Everything was going fine.
-
That suits me fine.
-
This'll do fine for now.
2
:
in an elegant and graceful way
-
She talks and walks so fine, just like a great lady.
3
used after a verb
:
in small pieces
-
The onions should be chopped fine. [=finely]
3
fine
/ˈfaɪn/
noun
plural
fines
3
fine
/ˈfaɪn/
noun
plural
fines
Britannica Dictionary definition of FINE
[count]
:
an amount of money that you pay as a punishment for breaking a law or rule
-
He had to pay a heavy fine for speeding.
-
a fine of $500
-
The judge imposed a fine on him.
4
fine
/ˈfaɪn/
verb
fines;
fined;
fining
4
fine
/ˈfaɪn/
verb
fines;
fined;
fining
Britannica Dictionary definition of FINE
[+ object]
:
to require (someone) to pay a fine as a punishment
-
He was fined for speeding.
-
The judge fined him $35.
