dent
noun
a hollow or depression in a surface, as from a blow.
dent
1 American
[dent]
/ dɛnt /
noun
-
a 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.
verb (used with object)
-
dents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dented,
past participle, past
-
denting
present participle
-
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.
verb (used without object)
-
dents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dented,
past participle, past
-
denting
present participle
-
to show dents; become indented.
Tin dents more easily than steel.
-
to sink in, making a dent.
Nails dent into metal.
idioms
-
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.
-
make a dent, to cause a person to take heed; make an impression.
The doctor told him to stop smoking, but it didn't make a dent.
dent
2
American
[dent]
/ dɛnt /
noun
-
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.
dent-
3
American
dent.
4
American
abbreviation
-
dental.
-
dentist.
-
dentistry.
dent
1
British
/ dɛnt /
noun
-
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
verb
dent
2
British
/ dɛnt /
noun
-
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
dent.
3
British
abbreviation
-
dental
-
dentistry
dent
More Idioms
Usage
What does dent- mean? Dent- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “tooth.” It is used in some medical and scientific terms, including in dentistry. Dent- comes from the Latin dēns, meaning “tooth.” Greek words for “tooth” are odṓn, source of the combining forms odonto- and -odont, and odoús, source of the combining form -odus. The word dent, as in "a hollow or depression in a surface," does not share a root with the combining form dent-. Learn where dent comes from at our entry for the word. What are variants of dent-?Dent- is a variant of dento-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use dento- article. Another, more common, variant of dent-, especially before a form with a Latin root, is denti-, as in dentiform.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dentsimple
-
dentssimple
-
have dentedperfect
-
has dentedperfect
-
am dentingprogressive
-
are dentingprogressive
-
is dentingprogressive
-
have been dentingperfect progressive
-
has been dentingperfect progressive
Past
-
dentedsimple
-
had dentedperfect
-
was dentingprogressive
-
were dentingprogressive
-
had been dentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dent1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English dint, dent, dunt “blow of a weapon; stroke of a sword”; see origin at dint
Origin of dent2
First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French, from Latin dent- (stem of dēns ) tooth
Explanation
A dent is a gouge or hollow that's left in a surface after some kind of blow. If you hit a soup pot with a hammer, it will leave a dent. Car accidents, whether they're serious or just fender benders, often result in dents. If you fall off your bike, you may get a dent in your helmet, and a mishandled package might be delivered to your door full of dents. There's also a figurative kind of dent, a reduction in amount: "You barely made a dent in that oatmeal — aren't you hungry?" Dent comes from Middle English, originally a variation on dint, "a blow dealt in fighting."
Vocabulary lists containing dent
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But the latter could have nasty ripple effects on peers and chip makers and even dent enthusiasm for coming initial public offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Malcolm Marx plunged over at the back of juggernaut maul and a Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty gave South Africa a cushion that Samisoni Taukei'aho's final-play try could dent, but not fully deflate.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Temporary Protected Status ended for about 350,000 Haitians at the end of July, which could dent the employment figures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The last time job creation was that weak was at the start of the year, when an unusually harsh winter and a post-holiday lull put a dent in hiring.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
The money didn't mean anything to Ishtar—I doubted it would make a dent in her account—but make a deal with a god?
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
“A thousand dollars is not going to make a dent. But it’s a good amount to buy something like furniture.”
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2024
“Probably. I don’t think it would really make a dent. Back in Georgia everybody we knew had an automobile.”
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Even Tyrell had to admit, “No, I don’t think there was a dent. But they wouldn’t let us get off the bus to look. And we had to sit and wait forever.”
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
"We've got about 150 dents circled with pink pen," she said.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Although those are only small dents in the huge gains the two companies have racked up in recent months, they are signs of some nervousness around AI hardware plays.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
But Flock’s AI-powered cameras go even further by also documenting other identifying vehicle details, such as make, model and color, as well as any distinctive markings like scratches or dents on a bumper.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026
If the car has significant interior damage or noticeable dents and scratches, Consumer Reports notes, expect to pay extra.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 4, 2026
After a year of being exposed to other kids, I knew most of them didn’t have squashed noses or dents in the sides of their heads where their eyes used to be.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
The country's supply chains are "very flexible", and its historic boom in exports has not been significantly dented by tariffs so far, she noted.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
BPX business has fallen behind peers after it invested heavily in a pivot toward renewable forms of energy that dented its valuation, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Big Ten revenue has dented the deficit, according to budget figures obtained by the California Post, but the expense of fielding competitive teams in all sports is soaring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
For now, the ongoing turmoil has dented the group's brand image, say experts.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Its sides were scraped and dented, and a wide gash ran across its top.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
The European Central Bank is widely expected to raise its key interest rate after a two-day meeting starting Wednesday, trying to push down inflation without denting economic growth.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
"I think there is a different lacquer. They were worried about it going out of shape. They are denting surfaces more."
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
U.S. housing construction fell sharply in July as rising mortgage rates are denting builder confidence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Europe's beleaguered top economy, especially its energy-hungry manufacturers, have been hit hard by the energy shock unleashed by the war, denting hopes of a strong rebound this year.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Then I felt dead selfish and bossy and mean, and tried to apologize to Papa Thibaut’s mate, in my rubbish French, for denting his fender.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
