trim

1 of 4

verb

ˈtrim

trimmed; trimming

transitive verb

: to remove by or as if by cutting

trimmed thousands from federal payrolls

Grit

: to make trim and neat especially by cutting or clipping

trim the hedges

: to free of excess or extraneous matter by or as if by cutting

trim a budget

trim down the inventory

: to embellish with or as if with ribbons, lace, or ornaments

trim the Christmas tree

the coat was trimmed with fur

: to administer a beating to : thrash

: defeat

trimmed me at chess

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

: to adjust (something, such as cargo or a sail) to a desired position

intransitive verb

: to maintain neutrality between opposing parties or to favor each equally

: to change one's views for reasons of expediency

: to assume or cause a boat to assume a desired position in the water

a boat that trims badly

trim

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adjective

trimmer; trimmest

: 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

: 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

: ready for service or use

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 vistas

W. M. Thackeray

trim

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noun

: a haircut that neatens a previous haircut

: material used for ornament or trimming

: 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

: the interior furnishings of an automobile

: one's clothing or appearance

: suitable or excellent condition

tries to keep in trim

: 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

: the relation between the plane of a sail and the direction of the ship

: the buoyancy status of a submarine

: the attitude of a lighter-than-air craft relative to a fore-and-aft horizontal plane

: the attitude with respect to wind axes at which an airplane will continue in level flight with free controls

: 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 winds

Philip Johnston

Example Sentences

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The Nuggets rallied to trim that gap though, with a 33-25 advantage in the third quarter mostly by forcing the Pacers into fouls.

Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Nov. 2022 Meister, who serves as a trustee on the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire District board, believes the county can continue to trim the budget by examining possible combinations of governmental entities, including fire protection districts.

Gavin Good, Chicago Tribune, 22 Sep. 2022 The city also joined forces with the Localscapes program to provide lessons on water-wise landscaping and to encourage residents to trim irrigation by 25%.

Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 Sep. 2022 The Heat have 19 players under contract for training camp, one below the NBA offseason maximum, and then will be forced to trim by their regular-season opener to a maximum of 15 under standard contract and two players on two-way contract.

Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Sep. 2022 The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia plan to trim production by 100,000 barrels a day next month.

Alex Longley, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2022 On Thursday night, four days before the 49ers must trim their 80-man roster to 53 players, the team’s best pass-catching back pondered his future in the visitor’s locker room at NRG Stadium after a 17-0 preseason loss to Houston.

Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug. 2022 The Rams waived quarterback Luis Perez, kicker/punter Cameron Dicker, tackle Adrian Ealy, tight end Jamal Pettigrew and defensive back Caesar Williams to trim the roster to 85 players by Tuesday’s deadline.

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 The proposal called on all EU countries to trim their gas consumption by 15% beginning in August.

Kim Mackrael, WSJ, 21 July 2022

Adjective

The same two trim levels will also give you rear cross-traffic alert.

Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 15 Nov. 2022 All three trim levels are equipped with the same battery pack and the same permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor.

Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, 14 Nov. 2022 Usually, it can be taken in to look currently trim.

Lois Fenton, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2022 Our light-duty pickups and full-size SUVs come standard with Front Pedestrian Braking and HD Surround Vision camera systems are available or standard on most trim levels.

CBS News, 31 Oct. 2022 Along with new facial features, most trim levels benefit from a flashier interior design that first debuted on the half-ton Silverado about a year ago.

Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 26 Sep. 2022 Regardless of the trim level, every version has a 201-hp electric motor that powers the front wheels.

Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 22 Oct. 2022 It can be sorted by trim level, options, colors and more.

Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 18 Oct. 2022 Other trim levels are up by between $500–$700 compared with last year for both the sedan and hatchback bodystyles.

Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 17 Oct. 2022

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

Budget pricing—$14,000 to $20,000 depending on the trim—didn't hurt either.

PCMAG, 26 Oct. 2022 The increase is expected to affect only the Pro, its most affordable trim level.

Talal Ansari, WSJ, 5 Oct. 2022 The Ridgeline pickup is unchanged, and the Odyssey minivan gets a new Sport trim level with black wheels.

Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 4 Oct. 2022 Advil tablets, a soft drink can and the fur trim of my parka to recreate Teresa Giudice on her wedding day.

Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2022 Sitting atop the dash in the Touring trim is a new 9-inch touchscreen — the others get a 7-incher.

Tribune News Service, cleveland, 27 Aug. 2022 Power folding second- and third-row seat are optional or standard, depending on trim.

Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 17 Aug. 2022 Instead of covering an entire wall or room in an eye-catching shade, have a bit of fun by painting just the decorative trim or molding.

Alyssa Longobucco, House Beautiful, 12 Aug. 2022 The trim on this robe sports the iconic burgundy and gold stripes of the story’s heroes, making your child feel like a member of the iconic wizard gang.

Lauren Gray, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trim.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

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