fine

I UK [faɪn] / US adjective
Word forms "fine":
adjective fine comparative finer superlative finest
***

1) if something is fine, it is good enough and acceptable to you

"Is your room all right?" "Yes, fine, thanks."

"Is it okay if we join you later?" "Yes, that's fine."

fine for:

I'm not very hungry. A sandwich will be fine for me.

fine by someone (= acceptable to someone):

If that's what he wants, that's fine by me.

a) of very good quality

one of the city's finest Victorian buildings

She has a remarkably fine singing voice.

fine clothes/food/wine

b) a fine person is good and honest

Mr Huddlestone was a very fine man.

c) if you are fine, your health is good and you have no problems

"How are you?" "Fine, thanks."

Sarah's been quite ill, but she's fine now.

Your blood pressure is absolutely fine.

d) if the weather is fine, it is sunny and not raining

a fine summer's afternoon

We'll go to the beach tomorrow if the weather's fine.

2) very thin and narrow, not thick or heavy

I've got very fine hair.

Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust.

The rain had slowed to a fine drizzle.

a) a fine substance is made up of very small pieces

fine sand/gravel/soil

b) if someone has fine features, their eyes, nose, etc look small and delicate

an attractive girl with fine features

c) fine details are small and sometimes difficult to notice

It seems a very fine distinction to make.

fine details/points:

He spent hours explaining the finer details of the scheme.

•

a fine figure of a man/woman — a man or woman with a strong attractive body

Joan was a fine figure of a woman from Berkshire.

- a fine line between

- finer feelings

- not to put too fine a point on it

II UK [faɪn] / US adverb
Word forms "fine":
comparative finer superlative finest informal **

in a way that is acceptable and good enough

My car's working fine now.

Don't worry if you can't work as quickly as the others – you're doing fine.

do (someone) fine (= be enough for someone):

A bowl of soup will do me fine.

•

See:

cut I

III UK [faɪn] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "fine":
singular fine plural fines
**

an amount of money that you have to pay because you have broken the law

He had to pay a hefty fine.

I got a £100 fine for speeding.

Firms could face fines of up to £5,000.

The court has the right to impose heavy fines (= large fines).

•

Collocations:
Adjectives frequently used with fine
▪  heavy, hefty, large, stiff, substantial Verbs frequently used with fine as the object ▪  face, get, pay, receive
IV UK [faɪn] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "fine":
present tense I/you/we/they fine he/she/it fines present participle fining past tense fined past participle fined
*

to make someone pay an amount of money as punishment for breaking the law

fine someone for (doing) something:

She was fined £250 for speeding.