denim

noun

den·​im ˈde-nəm 

1

a

: a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric woven with colored warp and white filling threads

b

: a similar fabric woven in colored stripes

2

denims plural : overalls or trousers usually of blue denim

denimed

ˈde-nəmd 

adjective

Did you know?

Many fabrics have been named for the places where they were once made. Denim gets its name from Nîmes, a city in France famous for its textiles. But the name came about in an unusual way. The fabric, a heavy serge, was originally called serge de Nîmes, literally, “serge from Nîmes.” The “s” on Nîmes is not pronounced in French, so when the name of the fabric came into English, it was often written serge de Nim and later serge denim. In time, this was shortened to simply denim.

Examples of denim in a Sentence

He's wearing faded denims and cowboy boots.

Recent Examples on the Web

Elrodi, meanwhile, opted for double denim and a brown hat. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026

This spring, Gigi Hadid stepped out in Jimmy Fairly’s oversized Aela sunglasses, pairing the dramatic tortoise frames with a bright red cardigan and relaxed denim. —Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 16 May 2026

Other seasonal staples marked down include these breezy faux-denim Billabong wide-leg pants and this Madewell wool-blend cardigan—all of which are up to 50 percent off. —Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2026

To add to the breezy summer feel of her look, Cyrus wore her loose denim top unbuttoned right to her sternum, forgoing any necklaces in favor or bold aviator sunglasses. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

French (serge) de Nîmes serge of Nîmes, France

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for denim

• plenum
• venom
• imipenem

Kids Definition

denim

noun

den·​im ˈden-əm 

1

: a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric

2

plural : overalls or trousers of denim

Etymology

from French (serge) de Nîmes "serge (fabric) from Nîmes (city in France)"

Word Origin

Many fabrics have been named for the places where they were once made. Denim gets its name from Nîmes, a city in France famous for its textiles. But the name came about in an unusual way. The fabric, a heavy serge, was originally called serge de Nîmes, literally, "serge from Nîmes." The "s" on Nîmes is not pronounced in French, so when the name of the fabric came into English, it was often written serge de Nim and later serge denim. In time this was shortened to simply denim.