paper-thin

adjective

pa·​per-thin ˈpā-pər-ˌthin How to pronounce paper-thin (audio)
: extremely thin
paper-thin partitions

Examples of paper-thin in a Sentence

since the wall separating our cubicles is paper-thin, I get way too much information about my coworker's love life
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Don’t miss the paper-thin zucchini and aubergine tower, stacked high over saganaki cheese and finished tableside with wild thyme honey. Lela London, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 Making large amounts of paper-thin slices or an ultra-tiny brunoise cut, for example, can be awfully hard for anybody without a ton of practice. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 May 2025 Ortega and Keoghan do their best with the paper-thin material, but there's a hollowness front and center of this film. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 May 2025 He’s got a paper-thin mustache and a shrub of chin hair to match. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for paper-thin

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paper-thin was in 1928

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paper-thin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper-thin. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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