26984 words

finer

17 definitions • 45 examples
1
good or good enough; healthy and well:

Examples:

I felt terrible last night but I feel fine this morning.
The apartments are very small, which is fine for one person.
"Are you all right?" "Everything's just fine, thanks."
"I'll come to your place at eight." "Fine. See you then."
2
excellent or much better than average:

Examples:

purveyors of fine wines and gourmet food
The world's finest collection of Impressionist paintings is housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
This building is the finest example of its type.
3
very thin or in very small pieces or drops:

Examples:

The baby's head was covered in fine blond hair.
The eruption had covered the town with a fine layer of ash.
Apply a fine line of highlighter along the middle of your top lip.
fine features She has inherited her mother's fine (= delicate and beautiful) features.
4
very exact and delicate, or needing to be done, treated, or considered very carefully:

Examples:

fine details I understood in general what she was talking about, but some of the finer details were beyond me.
finer points Younger readers can't be expected to understand the finer points of philosophy.
5
sunny and dry:

Examples:

The forecast said it would be fine and dry today.
6
bad or not convenient:

Examples:

That's a fine (= very unpleasant) thing to say about your father after all he's done for you!
He picked a fine time to leave us.
7
an amount of money that has to be paid as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law:

Examples:

The maximum penalty for the offence is a $1,000 fine.
heavy fine If found guilty, he faces six months in jail and a heavy (= severe) fine.
8
to charge someone an amount of money as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law:

Examples:

[ + two objects ] They fined him £100 for using threatening behaviour.
be fined for You can be fined for failure to obey these traffic signals.
9
in a satisfactory way:

Examples:

suit someone fine "Will a loan of £500 be sufficient?" "That will suit me fine."
It was working fine yesterday.
10
very good or very well; satisfactory or satisfactorily:

Examples:

I was sick last night, but I feel fine this morning.
The apartments are very small, which is fine if you’re single.
The car was working fine yesterday.
"Is something wrong?" "No, everything’s just fine, thanks."
11
of excellent quality or much better than average:

Examples:

Although still young, he is already a fine musician.
We had lunch in one of the city’s finest restaurants.
12
Fine is sometimes used with an opposite meaning to show that you are annoyed:

Examples:

That’s a fine thing to say after all I’ve done for you.
13
very thin or in very small grains or drops:

Examples:

fine blond hair
The paint comes out of the can in a fine spray.
She has her mother’s fine (= delicate and beautiful) features.
14
an amount of money that has to be paid as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law:

Examples:

If found guilty, he faces six months in jail and a heavy fine.
15
an amount of money that someone has to pay as a punishment for not obeying a law or rule:

Examples:

Copying cash is a federal offense and carries prison terms of up to 15 years and up to $5,000 in fines.
a heavy/stiff fine The new state law carries with it heavy fines for teens caught with cigarettes.
Bank officers said the decision to pay the fine would not affect its plans to pay off the loans within two years.
be subject to/face a fine Employers can face fines and other sanctions for hiring any of the 8 to 10 million illegal immigrants who are estimated to live in this country.
get/incur a fine If you go to court you could get a fine of up to a thousand dollars.
hand out/impose a fine There has been a proposal to impose fines for late completion of work.
Police can hand out on-the-spot fines to drunks.
16
to make someone pay an amount of money as a punishment for not obeying a law or rule:

Examples:

be fined £100/$75,000, etc. (for sth) Individuals can be charged interest and fined up to £1,000 for late submission of their tax return.
17
of very high quality:

Examples:

a list of restaurants in the area that provide fine dining
a fine set of financial results

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