· a rheostat that varies the current through an electric light in order to control the level of illumination

Hypernym(s): rheostat, variable_resistor

· lacking in light; not bright or harsh; "a dim light beside the bed"; "subdued lights and soft music"

Synonym(s): subdued

· lacking clarity or distinctness; "a dim figure in the distance"; "only a faint recollection"; "shadowy figures in the gloom"; "saw a vague outline of a building through the fog"; "a few wispy memories of childhood"

Synonym(s): faint, shadowy, vague, wispy

· made dim or less bright; "the dimmed houselights brought a hush of anticipation"; "dimmed headlights"; "we like dimmed lights when we have dinner"

Synonym(s): dimmed

Antonym(s): undimmed

· offering little or no hope; "the future looked black"; "prospects were bleak"; "Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult"- J.M.Synge; "took a dim view of things"

Synonym(s): black, bleak

· slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him"; "never met anyone quite so dim"; "although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students"

Synonym(s): dense, dull, dumb, obtuse, slow