dent
1a hollow or depression in a surface, as from a blow.
a noticeable effect, especially of reduction: to leave a dent in one's savings;a dent in one's pride.
to make a dent in or on; indent: The impact dented the car's fender.
to have the effect of reducing or slightly injuring: The caustic remark dented his ego.
to show dents; become indented: Tin dents more easily than steel.
to sink in, making a dent: Nails dent into metal.
Idioms about dent
make a dent, Informal. to cause a person to take heed; make an impression: The doctor told him to stop smoking, but it didn't make a dent.
make a dent in, to show initial progress; pass an initial stage of (work, thought, solving a problem, etc.): I haven't even made a dent in this pile of work.
Origin of dent
1Other words from dent
- un·dent·ed, adjective
Other definitions for dent (2 of 4)
a toothlike projection, as a tooth of a gearwheel.
Textiles. the space between two wires through which the warp ends are drawn in the reed of a loom.
Origin of dent
2Other definitions for dent- (3 of 4)
variant of denti- before a vowel: dentin.
Other definitions for dent. (4 of 4)
dental.
dentist.
dentistry.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use dent in a sentence
Being forced to engage with an opponent dents his oh-so-carefully cultivated aura of inevitability.
Republican Debate: Does Gingrich Have Romney Spooked? | Michelle Cottle | December 11, 2011 | THE DAILY BEASTThe thousand dents it has in it it has got by travel; it has been knocked around in my traveling trunk for the last five years.
Mary Louise tried to get the dents out of the old dishpan, but succeeded only indifferently.
Mary Louise in the Country | L. Frank Baum (AKA Edith Van Dyne)The weapons, instead of splintering the wood, merely made deep dents, or glided off harmlessly.
Out on the Pampas | G. A. Henty"E 50" came out of the affair with the loss of her port-bow hydroplane and a few dents.
The Story of Our Submarines | John Graham Bower
The fat man lets you make temporary dents in his plans just as you make them in a piece of fat meat.
How to Analyze People on Sight | Elsie Lincoln Benedict and Ralph Paine Benedict
British Dictionary definitions for dent (1 of 3)
/ (dɛnt) /
a hollow or dip in a surface, as one made by pressure or a blow
an appreciable effect, esp of lessening: a dent in our resources
to impress or be impressed with a dent or dents
Origin of dent
1British Dictionary definitions for dent (2 of 3)
/ (dɛnt) /
a toothlike protuberance, esp the tooth of a sprocket or gearwheel
textiles the space between two wires in a loom through which a warp thread is drawn
Origin of dent
2British Dictionary definitions for dent. (3 of 3)
dental
dentistry
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with dent
see make a dent in.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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