What does "dent" mean?
A shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.
Dent
name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·1 syllable ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.
- Grammar: dent is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ding, alveolation, alveolus, baby tooth.
- Useful contrasts: boost, gain, increase.
- Usage evidence: Stopgap measures won't make a dent in drug addiction.
How to use "dent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dent" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ding" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.
"The crash produced a dent in the left side of the car."
- 2 A tooth, as of a card, a gear wheel, etc.
- 3 an impression in a surface (as made by a blow) wordnet
- 4 A minor effect made upon something. figuratively
"to make a dent"
- 5 A slot or a wire in a reed
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 an appreciable consequence (especially a lessening) wordnet
- 7 A type of maize/corn with a relatively soft outer hull, and a soft type of starch that shrinks at maturity to leave an indentation in the surface of the kernel.
- 8 a depression scratched or carved into a surface wordnet
- 9 A sudden negative change, such as loss, damage, weakening, consumption or diminution, especially one produced by an external force, event or action broadly, informal
"That purchase put a bit of a dent in my wallet."
Verb
- 1 To impact something, producing a dent. transitive
- 2 make a depression into wordnet
- 3 To develop a dent or dents. intransitive
"Copper is soft and dents easily."
Proper Noun
- 1 A village and civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, previously in South Lakeland district (OS grid ref SD7086). countable, uncountable
- 2 A surname. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Stopgap measures won't make a dent in drug addiction."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dent"?
Common synonyms include: ding, alveolation, alveolus, baby tooth, bicuspid, boss.
How do you use "dent" in a sentence?
Stopgap measures won't make a dent in drug addiction.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English dent, dente, dint (“a blow; strike; dent”), from Old English dynt (“blow, strike, the mark or noise of a blow”), from Proto-Germanic *duntiz (“a blow”). Akin to Old Norse dyntr (“dint”). Doublet of dint.
Etymology 2
From French dent, from Latin dēns, dentis (“tooth”). Doublet of dens and tooth.