Literary notes about Dim (AI summary)
In literature, the word "dim" manifests a dual quality: it often denotes a subdued, fading light while simultaneously evoking moods of uncertainty or melancholy. Authors use the term to describe physical obscurity, as when a fallen star loses its brilliance [1] or when a fire’s glow withers to a faint patch [2]; it also symbolizes the waning of hope or clarity, as seen in a character's retreating certitude or in a room filled with subdued hues that mirror inner turmoil [3], [4]. Beyond literal illumination, "dim" paints scenes with a ghostly or dreamlike quality, suggesting distances or forgotten memories—the dim outline of trees before twilight [5] or the somber ambiance of a once brighter city [6]. This multiplicity allows "dim" to serve as a powerful metaphor, uniting physical light with the elusive nature of human experience.
- He had cast out of heaven his dim star; it had fallen, and its track was lost in the darkness of night.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - The camp fire had died down by now; there was no flicker, and the patch of red had grown small and dim. . . .
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - The clear certitude of his own immunity grew dim and to it succeeded a vague fear that his soul had really fallen unawares.
— from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce - His eyes were dim and watery; his hands were unsteady; his voice was choked and muffled with drink.
— from Lady Audley's Secret by M. E. Braddon - He looked out of the window, and regarded the dim outline of the trees upon the sky, and the twilight deepening to darkness.
— from Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - How calmly the dim city sleeps yonder in the plain!
— from Roughing It by Mark Twain
