Jump to:

• dent
  dent

  noun

  a hollow or depression in a surface, as from a blow.
• dent-
  dent-

  variant of denti- before a vowel.
• dent.
  dent.

  abbreviation

  dental.

dent

¹ American  

[dent] / dɛnt /

noun

1. a hollow or depression in a surface, as from a blow.

2. a noticeable effect, especially of reduction.

   to leave a dent in one's savings;

   a dent in one's pride.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to make a dent in or on; indent.

   The impact dented the car's fender.

2. to have the effect of reducing or slightly injuring.

   The caustic remark dented his ego.

verb (used without object)

1. to show dents; become indented.

   Tin dents more easily than steel.

2. to sink in, making a dent.

   Nails dent into metal.

idioms

1. 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.

2. 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

1. a toothlike projection, as a tooth of a gearwheel.

2. Textiles. the space between two wires through which the warp ends are drawn in the reed of a loom.

---

dent- ³ American  

1. variant of denti- before a vowel.

   dentin.

---

dent. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. dental.

2. dentist.

3. dentistry.

---

dent ¹ British  

/ dɛnt /

noun

1. a hollow or dip in a surface, as one made by pressure or a blow

2. an appreciable effect, esp of lessening

   a dent in our resources

---

verb

1. to impress or be impressed with a dent or dents

dent ² British  

/ dɛnt /

noun

1. a toothlike protuberance, esp the tooth of a sprocket or gearwheel

2. textiles the space between two wires in a loom through which a warp thread is drawn

---

dent. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. dental

2. dentistry

---

dent More Idioms  

1. see make a dent in.

---

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

• undented
  adjective

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."

Example Sentences

“We continue to see tremendous inflows to our private wealth products on the real asset side,” Teskey said, noting that recent concerns on the credit side of the market didn’t dent those gains.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Investors may be fretting that bringing forward some deliveries will put a dent in shipment numbers for the current quarter, which could weigh on earnings and sales.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Or, more specifically, making a dent in them.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

"That is a big dent in the title race for Manchester City, but you have got to pick yourself up and go again," former Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

After repeated blows I had created a tiny dent in the cylindrical wall of the bole.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• incision
• indentation