trim

1 of 4

verb

trimmed; trimming

transitive verb

1
a
: to remove by or as if by cutting
trimmed thousands from federal payrollsGrit
b
: to make trim and neat especially by cutting or clipping
trim the hedges
c
: to free of excess or extraneous matter by or as if by cutting
trim a budget
trim down the inventory
2
: to embellish with or as if with ribbons, lace, or ornaments
trim the Christmas tree
the coat was trimmed with fur
3
a
: to administer a beating to : thrash
b
: defeat
trimmed me at chess
4
a(1)
: to cause (a ship) to assume a desirable position in the water by arrangement of ballast, cargo, or passengers
(2)
: to adjust (something, such as an airplane or submarine) for horizontal movement or for motion upward or downward
b
: to adjust (something, such as cargo or a sail) to a desired position

intransitive verb

1
a
: to maintain neutrality between opposing parties or to favor each equally
b
: to change one's views for reasons of expediency
2
: to assume or cause a boat to assume a desired position in the water
a boat that trims badly

trim

2 of 4

adjective

trimmer; trimmest
1
: exhibiting neatness, good order, or compactness of line or structure
a trim beard
trim lawns
… a trim, well-built beach house not far from a spanking new superhighway.The Saturday Review
2
: slim and physically fit
kept himself trim by biking every day
His lithe student, trim in a tennis dress, watched while holding her racquet on her shoulder.E. L. Doctorow
3
: ready for service or use
4
obsolete : excellent, fine
trimly adverb
trimness noun

trim

3 of 4

adverb

: in a trim manner : trimly
used chiefly in combination
the trim-cut forest vistasW. M. Thackeray

trim

4 of 4

noun

1
: a haircut that neatens a previous haircut
2
a
: material used for ornament or trimming
b
: the material (such as wood, stone, or vinyl) in the finish of a building especially around openings
But now, marble is back in style with a vengeance, in demand for building facades, interior trim and finishes.David Roberts
In home building, carpenters build the house framework, frame the roof and interior partitions, and install doors, windows, flooring, cabinets, wood paneling, and molding and trim.Occupational Outlook Handbook
c
: the interior furnishings of an automobile
d
: one's clothing or appearance
3
: suitable or excellent condition
tries to keep in trim
4
a
: the position of a ship or boat especially with reference to the horizontal
also : the difference between the draft of a ship forward and that aft
b
: the relation between the plane of a sail and the direction of the ship
c
: the buoyancy status of a submarine
d
: the attitude of a lighter-than-air craft relative to a fore-and-aft horizontal plane
e
: the attitude with respect to wind axes at which an airplane will continue in level flight with free controls
5
: something that is trimmed off or cut out
Phrases
trim one's sails
: to adjust oneself or one's actions to prevailing conditions
compromise or trim your sails to suit the political windsPhilip Johnston

Examples of trim in a Sentence

Verb The hedges need to be trimmed. They are looking for ways to trim the budget. We trimmed the Christmas tree. a pillow trimmed in lace Adjective She has a trim figure. He keeps fit and trim by biking. Noun a skirt with lace trim the doctor declared her to be in good trim for the race
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Will the Fed lower interest rates in 2024? Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress last week that the central bank will likely trim its key interest rate this year but not until officials see more evidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward the Fed’s target. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Keep your yard well-maintained by regularly mowing the grass, removing debris and trimming vegetation. The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 The full recipe for oven-roasted asparagus is below, but here's a brief recap: Step 1: Wash and trim. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 In an effort to stay afloat, many restaurant owners have been forced to raise their prices, trim their staffs, menus and hours, add surcharges, set time limits on how long diners can stay and introduce refundable reservation fees to discourage no-shows. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 One minor request was to trim the runtimes slightly. Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Golden State managed five points in the first six minutes of the third quarter, seeing their 20-point lead trimmed to six. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Google and its parent company Alphabet, have actually been making a lot of staffing cuts as part of a wider effort to trim costs. Michael Calore Lauren Goode, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 At some point, officials could use economic data to gently set expectations for back-to-back cuts, or trims at every other meeting, without saying those decisions are final. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Miller, for one, stepped out in Paris wearing a white slip dress with lace trim. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024 With its array of trim choices, the Mustang has a wide range of starting prices, $32,515 to $61,080 depending on the trim and options. James Raia, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 The effervescent hue is broken up only by a black hood and chrome trim, as well as the lower carbon-fiber sections which have been painted silver after having been left exposed on the first two cars in the series. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 With a third row of seats, the car can seat seven to 8 passengers, depending on the trim level. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2024 With trim white hair and a white mustache, Brinkely looks and sounds like a Southern gentleman. Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2024 The hood stays put and doesn't blow off my head too easily, and the jacket has a slightly trim fit that doesn't inhibit my mobility. Matt Jancer, WIRED, 10 Feb. 2024 The governor’s latest infrastructure proposal is relatively trim, at least compared to the $2.6 billion package approved at the end of the last legislative session. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2024 As Enzo, Driver is trim and erect, moving with an elegant sense of swing that Mann matches with a curvaceously mobile camera tracing brisk, suave arcs around him. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2024
Adverb
Sturdy but comfortable, this 1901 shirt is trim-tailored and comes in two colors, Grey Magnet Oxford and Blue White Bengal Stripe. Alicia Kortendick, al, 15 Apr. 2020 Eliminating the resources that are underutilized, making the budget as trim as possible. Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2018
Noun
Poking fun at the doctor’s ambient sexism and largely eliminating his icky detour into eugenics are likewise improvements, as is an overall trim that reduces the playing time of the five-act play to barely two hours. Jesse Green, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 The clocks have moved forward, the Blue Bonnets are popping, and the grass is ready for a trim. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2024 It’s made of light-colored canvas, with a contrasting trim in red, blue, yellow or green. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Below the Tungsten, familiar Ram trim levels return for 2025, including the base Tradesman, the mid-grade Big Horn (Lone Star in Texas) and Laramie, the rugged Rebel, and the premium Limited trims. Karl Brauer, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Its light-catching black weave gives a sporty but elegant look to console covers and door trim inlays. Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 New this year is extreme Dark Horse trim which features additional chassis tuning and 500 horsepower. James Raia, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 The car company with a performance trim named after a throw-away joke from every 13-year-old’s favorite Mel Brooks film is apparently expanding its EV performance lineup downward with a new Model 3 Plaid on the docket. Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2024 But the company continued to make smaller trims over the course of 2023, including layoffs within teams focused on recruiting, news products and the Waze mapping app. Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from Middle English *trimmen to prepare, put in order, from Old English trymian, trymman to strengthen, arrange, from trum strong, firm; probably akin to Old English trēo tree, wood — more at tree entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1521, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Adjective

circa 1521, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1529, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1593, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of trim was circa 1521

Dictionary Entries Near trim

Cite this Entry

“Trim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trim. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trim

1 of 4 verb
trimmed; trimming
1
: to decorate with ribbons, lace, or ornaments : adorn
trim a Christmas tree
a jacket trimmed with leather
2
: to defeat in a game or contest
3
a
: to make trim and neat especially by cutting or clipping
trim the bushes
trimmed her hair
b
: to free of excess or unnecessary matter by or as if by cutting
trim a steak
trim a budget
4
: to cause (as a ship) to take the right position in the water by balancing the load carried
5
: to adjust (as an airplane or submarine) for horizontal movement or for motion upward or downward
6
: to adjust (as a sail) to a desired position
trimmer noun

trim

2 of 4 adjective
trimmer; trimmest
1
: ready for service or use
2
: slim and physically fit
keeps trim by jogging
3
: neat, orderly, and compact in line or structure
a trim house
trimly adverb
trimness noun

trim

3 of 4 adverb
: in a trim manner : trimly

trim

4 of 4 noun
1
: good or healthy condition : fitness
2
a
: material used for ornament or trimming
b
: the woodwork in the finish of a building especially around doors and windows
3
a
: the position of a ship or boat especially with reference to the horizontal
b
: the relation between the plane of a sail and the direction of the ship
c
: the position of an airplane at which it will continue in level flight with no adjustments to the controls
4
: something that is trimmed off or cut out
5
: a haircut that neatens a previous haircut

Geographical Definition

Trim

geographical name

town in eastern Ireland area population 8268

Note: Trim is the capital of County Meath.

More from Merriam-Webster on trim

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