dense

[dens]

adjective

denser, densest 

1. having the component parts closely compacted together; crowded or compact.

   a dense forest;

   dense population.

   Synonyms: impenetrable, teeming

2. stupid; slow-witted; dull.

3. intense; extreme.

   dense ignorance.

4. relatively opaque; transmitting little light, as a photographic negative, optical glass, or color.

5. difficult to understand or follow because of being closely packed with ideas or complexities of style.

   a dense philosophical essay.

6. Mathematics.,  of or relating to a subset of a topological space in which every neighborhood of every point in the space contains at least one point of the subset.

dense

/ dɛns /

adjective

1. thickly crowded or closely set

   a dense crowd

2. thick; impenetrable

   a dense fog

3. physics having a high density

4. stupid; dull; obtuse

5. (of a photographic negative) having many dark or exposed areas

6. (of an optical glass, colour, etc) transmitting little or no light

Other Word Forms

• densely adverb
• denseness noun
• nondenseness noun
• superdense adjective
• ultradense adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dense¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin dēnsus “thick”; cognate with Greek dasýs

Word History and Origins

Origin of dense¹

C15: from Latin densus thick; related to Greek dasus thickly covered with hair or leaves

Example Sentences

This later phase included shell middens, dense ceramic refuse, and a sophisticated system of canals and raised fields connected to maize-based farming.

Read more on Science Daily

While Buckley and Mescal muddle through a dense script aiming for authenticity, Jupe lives it, delivering every line with a seasoned actor’s veracity.

Read more on Salon

One early proposal suggested that these objects were unusually dense galaxies filled with enormous numbers of stars, with their reddish color caused by thick layers of dust.

Read more on Science Daily

In northern Virginia, home to a dense strip of data centers known as “Data Center Alley,” workers say the industry has transformed their lives.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That has long supported its dense network of picture houses -- around 80 today -- where film lovers can catch classics and auteur productions in sometimes cramped conditions and with spartan decoration.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• heavy 
• impenetrable 
• opaque 
• solid