What does "dimple" mean?
A small depression or indentation in a surface.
Dimple
/ˈdɪmpəl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small depression or indentation in a surface.
- Grammar: dimple is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: alveolation, alveolus, cockle, concavities.
- Useful contrasts: bulge, flatten, protrusion.
- Usage evidence: The little boy with a dimple in his chin is so cute!
How to use "dimple"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dimple" 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 "dimple" 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 "dimple" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dimple" 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 "dimple" is acting as noun, verb 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 "alveolation" 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 "dimple", 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 small depression or indentation in a surface.
"The accident created a dimple in the hood of the car."
- 2 a small natural hollow in the cheek or chin wordnet
- 3 Specifically, a small natural depression on the skin, especially on the face near the corners of the mouth.
"You have very cute dimples."
- 4 any slight depression in a surface wordnet
- 5 A small depression, made with a punch on a metal object, as a guide for further drilling.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a chad that has been punched or dimpled but all four corners are still attached wordnet
Verb
- 1 To create a dimple in. transitive
"The hailstorm dimpled the roof of our car."
- 2 produce dimples while smiling wordnet
- 3 To create a dimple in one's face by smiling. intransitive
"The young girl dimpled in glee as she was handed a cupcake."
- 4 mark with, or as if with, dimples wordnet
- 5 To form dimples; to sink into depressions or little inequalities.
"And smiling eddies dimpled o'er the main."
Antonyms
Example
"The little boy with a dimple in his chin is so cute!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dimple"?
Common synonyms include: alveolation, alveolus, cockle, concavities, dent, dent.
How do you use "dimple" in a sentence?
The little boy with a dimple in his chin is so cute!
How do you pronounce "dimple"?
Pronounced /ˈdɪmpəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English dimpel, dimpil, dympull, from Old English *dympel, from Proto-West Germanic *dumpil, from Proto-Germanic *dumpilaz (“sink-hole, dimple”), from Proto-Germanic *dumpaz (“hole, hollow, pit”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewb- (“deep, hollow”), equivalent to dialectal dump (“deep hole or pool”) + -le (diminutive suffix). Akin to German Low German Dümpel, German Tümpel (“pond, pool”). Related also to Old English dyppan (“to dip”).