Literary notes about slim (AI summary)
Writers often use "slim" to evoke a sense of delicacy and precision, whether describing a character’s physical form or an object’s shape. It frequently highlights an elegant, refined quality—a soft, barely-there touch of a paw [1] or the graceful, upright figure of a young woman [2]. At times, it underscores fragility or slender proportions, as seen in the portrayal of thin limbs that suggest both beauty and vulnerability [3, 4]. Even beyond human features, the adjective captures narrowness in architecture and natural elements, such as a white steeple rising against a vast sky [5]. In certain contexts, "slim" also conveys improbability, emphasizing the meager chance of an outcome [6]. This layered usage enriches the narrative, imbuing descriptions with both aesthetic allure and subtle symbolic meaning.
- The touch of the soft, slim little paw on her shoulder was the most amazing thing she had ever known.
— from A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Her tall slim figure seemed to have been made for it.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - Such fine, fine limbs, her slim, round arms like chasing lights, and her legs so simple and childish, yet so very proud.
— from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence - She had worked in the cannery the preceding summer, and her slim, pretty hands were all scarred with the tomato-knives.
— from Martin Eden by Jack London - Opposite the Varnum gate, where the road fell away toward the Corbury valley, the church reared its slim white steeple and narrow peristyle.
— from Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - When opium is added, the young man's chance of resisting the combined forces and escaping physical, mental, and moral harm is slim, indeed.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden
