From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfinefine1 /faɪn/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 GOOD ENOUGHacceptable [not before noun] especially spoken satisfactory or acceptable SYN OK ‘We’re meeting at 8.30.’ ‘Okay, fine.’looks/seems/sounds fine In theory, the scheme sounds fine. If you want to use cheese instead of chicken, that’s fine. ‘Do you want chili sauce on it?’ ‘No, it’s fine as it is, thanks.’I’m fine (thanks/thank you) spoken (=used when telling someone that you do not want any more when they offer you something) ‘More coffee?’ ‘No, I’m fine, thanks.’that’s fine by me/that’s fine with me etc spoken (=used when saying that you do not mind about something) If Scott wanted to keep his life secret, that was fine by her.2 healthyHEALTHY in good health SYN OK ‘How are you?’ ‘Fine, thanks, how are you?’ I feel fine, really.► see thesaurus at healthy3 very good [usually before noun]GOOD/EXCELLENT very good or of a very high standard Many people regard Beethoven’s fifth symphony as his finest work. He’s a very fine player. It’s a fine idea. Hatfield House is a fine example of Jacobean architecture. The restaurant was chosen for its good food and fine wines.► see thesaurus at good4 weatherWEATHER bright and not raining If it’s fine tomorrow we’ll go out.a fine day/morning/evening I hope it stays fine for you.5 narrowTHIN OBJECT OR MATERIAL very thin or narrow Fine needles are inserted in the arm. a fine thread very fine hairs 6 delicate [usually before noun] attractive, neat, and delicate fine china Her dark hair accentuates her fine features (=nose, eyes, cheeks etc).7 small a) DIFFICULTfine details, changes, differences etc are very small and therefore difficult to understand or notice We stayed up discussing the finer points of Marxist theory. b) CSSMALLin small grains, pieces, or drops A fine drizzle started falling. a mixture of fine and coarse breadcrumbs c) fine material is made so that the spaces between the threads are very small fine netting scarlet cloth with a very fine weave8 GOOD ENOUGHbad [only before noun] especially spoken used humorously to say that someone or something is bad in some way That’s another fine mess (=bad situation) he’s got himself into. You’re a fine one to talk (=you are criticizing someone for something you do yourself).9 speech/wordsIMPRESS sounding important and impressive, but probably not true or honest Only time will tell whether these fine sentiments will translate into action.10 → a fine man/woman etc11 → a fine line between something and something12 → get something down to a fine art13 → not to put too fine a point on it14 → finer feelings15 → a fine figure of a man/woman16 → somebody’s finest hour → chance would be a fine thing at chance1(11)
Examples from the Corpus
fine• For Lochlin and Sandy Reidy, corporate life and family life make a perfectly fine blend, and they should know.• Next week will be fine but a little cooler.• a fine chiffon veil with embroidered edges• A fine coating of dust covered most of the furniture.• Scientists are now able to measure fine distinctions between levels of sleep depth.• The collar is made of finest English lace.• Trinity Church is a fine example of Gothic architecture.• It caused a fine flap and the Election Board had no choice but to conduct an inquiry.• I met this fine Italian girl at school.• fine jewelry• A.. One of the nice things about running for chairman is the people who ran against me were fine people.• The charcoal glen plaids are distinctive for their fine royal blue lines.• Cut the onion into fine slices.• It handles like a fine sports car.• a fine spring evening• "How's your wife now?'' "Oh, she's fine, thank you.''• Fine, then, I'll do it myself.• the fine tuning on the radio• The train passes near Gate Manor, a fine Victorian mock Jacobean hall.• I had a fine view from my sitting-room window.• It can take several days of fine weather for the grass to dry out.• Enjoy with your Tandoori special fine wines, draught or bottled beer.• "I could cook something for dinner." "That's okay - a sandwich is fine with me."I’m fine• "Did you want some more coffee?" "No, I'm fine , thank you."feel fine• But I ran in it and it felt fine.• I am being set up in the ward and it occurs to me that I am feeling fine.• Maybe not, since Henry, unless he got the thallium anywhere near the chicken leg, would be feeling fine.• He said that while the foot felt fine after the game, his wind was missing.• He said his back feels fine and, at times, retirement is boring.• Spring focus: 2B Craig Biggio says he feels fine, but he is coming off surgery for two torn knee ligaments.• A half-hour went by before I finally decided I wasn't going to feel fine ever again.• I felt fine, I was just missing. fine wines• Goddard describes the nuances of some of these teas the way a wine connoisseur speaks of fine wines.• They have all been chosen for their comfort, good food and fine wines.• He dines at the best restaurants, drinks fine wines and beds whomever attracts him.• Excellent lunch with fine wines and liqueurs.• Enjoy with your Tandoori special fine wines, draught or bottled beer.• She became taxi driver, purveyor of fine wines, lender of lurex and drag-hag extraordinaire.• The only thing missing were the fine wines that Mellor likes to sample.• The finest wines were always delivered and the food had to match.stays fine• I hope it stays fine for you.fine features• He had fine features, I thought, but he looked like every other handsome man I had ever seen. finer points• It hasn't learned this behaviour; it was born with it, though it gradually learns the finer points.• Sometimes they were right, news crews rarely had the time or the inclination to pursue the finer points.• To begin the evening Laurent Perrier will conduct a champagne tasting, educating us all on the finer points in choosing champagne.• His elucidation of the finer points of betting is also excellent.a fine one to talk• Mind you our school tested anyway so she's a fine one to talk!• Nev was a fine one to talk.finefine2 ●●● S3 adverb 1 especially spokenSATISFIED in a way that is satisfactory or acceptable ‘How’s it going?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’ The dress fitted me fine. If I had a good job and my boyfriend stayed at home, that’d suit me fine (=be very acceptable to me).2 → do fine3 THIN OBJECT OR MATERIALif you cut something fine, you cut it into very small or very thin pieces SYN finely4 → cut it/things fineExamples from the Corpus
fine• He said that that suited him fine, and that he was very excited about what I would make of it.• I called the repairman, but of course the TV worked fine when he tried it.suit ... fine• All in all, a difficult sight to ignore, which suited him fine.• For the remaining 40 minutes I played in the number eight position, which suited me fine.• I've been in that block since it was built, it suits me fine.• I never phoned or saw judy again and barely saw Alistair, which seemed to suit us both fine.• It was nice and positive and suited me fine.• Marlin's record collection was chiefly seduction songs of his sixties adolescence, which suited her fine.• Virginia Woolf and dialogism suit me just fine.• I put on a dark grey suit with a fine stripe, a grey woollen tie and a soft white shirt.finefine3 ●●○ verb [transitive] PUNISHto make someone pay money as a punishmentfine somebody for (doing) something She was fined for speeding.fine somebody £200/$500 etc The club was fined £50,000 for financial irregularities.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
fine• The company was fined $1.6 million for breaking environmental regulations.• He plead guilty and was fined $ 240.• She was fined $300 for reckless driving.• James Propp, Tsang and Guerin each were fined $ 82,911.• Any young man whose waist went beyond the standard belt length was fined.• Tranmere Rovers manager John Aldridge has been fined after admitting misconduct.• Inspectors have the power to fine any passenger travelling without a ticket.• Reports suggest he could be suspended several races next season and fined as much as $ 1 million.• You will be fined for any lost library books.• One player was fined for fighting during the game.• And school governor is fined for importing pornographic material.• Stores will be fined for selling cigarettes or tobacco to minors.• The state fined the company for safety violations.• Instead, he complained, he had been brought to court, fined, whipped and sentenced to two months imprisonment.fine somebody for (doing) something• The highest fines were two for $ 500.• But they had a bucket of beer bottles and everything was fine.• They're all fine routes for backpacking holidays but local youth hostels or bed and breakfasts are also available.• We know, don't we, that Lamb hasn't been fined so heavily for breaching a harsh contract.• Best known for her work in film, Perrin Ireland demonstrates a fine gift for detail.• If found guilty, he could be fined $ 500 for each offense.• Two suspects in the Stephen Lawrence murder case were fined £100 each for stealing 14 kegs of alcohol.• Magistrates fined Levy £200 for the assault on Miss Batey but made no order of compensation for her injuries.finefine4 ●●○ noun [countable] PAY FORmoney that you have to pay as a punishment a £40 finepay a fine/pay £100/$50 etc in fines She was ordered to pay £150 in parking fines, plus court costs. Councils will get sweeping powers to impose fines on drivers who park illegally.heavy/hefty fine (=a large fine) If convicted, the men face heavy fines.► see thesaurus at punishmentExamples from the Corpus
fine• She faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.• The penalty is a $250 fine for the first offense.• He got a $75 fine for speeding.• I got a fine for parking on a double yellow line.• My tardiness prompted an immediate threat of a fine, but it never materialised.• A fine will be imposed for overstaying your visa.• It was the only way to save the Union, to save it from contempt fines and then from bankruptcy.• There are heavy fines for drink-driving. You might even go to prison.• There are heavy fines for drink-driving.• It imposed fines totalling £328,500 on 105 solicitors, compared with 76 solicitors fined an aggregate of £216,000 the year before.• They have demanded provisions for imposing fines on countries with large deficits after the euro is created.• The rebellion was over at a cost he claimed to be more than £4,000 in fines and legal fees.• But instead of levying fines, prosecuting plant officials or revoking their licenses, the agency only wrote threatening letters to trustees.• If you're going into town, will you go and pay my library fines for me please?• The board also urged the courts to impose the maximum fines on bum landlords.heavy/hefty fine• Jones can expect a hefty fine and possibly a ban.• He was ordered to compensate all of the victims of the fire and pay a heavy fine.• He had to pay a heavy fine for infringing Dollond's patent in that year.• The penalty: a five-year jail sentence and hefty fines.• Racecourse officials and race starter Capt Keith Brown could also face heavy fines after coming in for stiff criticism.• Those violating the law could face heavy fines.• The National Union of Mineworkers also had to pay heavy fines and suffer sequestration.• It can also seek heavy fines on landlords who discriminate.From Longman Business Dictionaryfinefine1 /faɪn/ noun [countable] LAWmoney that someone has to pay as a punishmentHe served 22 months in jail and paid a $100 million fine to settle insider trading charges.If convicted, they face heavy fines.She was ordered to pay £150 in parking fines, plus court costs.The courts can still impose unlimited fines for water pollution.finefine2 verb [transitive]LAW to make someone pay money as a punishmentfine somebody for doing somethingThe company has been fined for illegal nuclear exports to North Korea.→ See Verb tablefinefine3 adjective of a very high quality or standardfine winesOrigin fine1 (1200-1300) French fin, from Latin finire; → FINISH1 fine4 (1200-1300) French fin, from Latin finis “end” 