dent
noun
a hollow or depression in a surface, as from a blow.
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dento-.
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 there was a dent or two in that shining shield.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
That hasn’t put much of a dent in Apple’s profit margins—yet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
A disappointing reception for Anthropic could dent investor enthusiasm for AI, a sector that has become a key driver of US economic growth.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Yardan described a potential shuttering, even if temporary, as a "huge dent" in DC culture that could change the heart of the space.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
I can’t forward all my old emails in the ten minutes that I have, but I start to make a dent in them.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
“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
The cameras compile license plate numbers and other identifying information, including make, model, paint color, dents and bumper stickers.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
A white BMW also appears in the footage with dents in the hood of the car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Prices show little prospect of falling further as escalation in the Middle East dents chances of an imminent pickup in LNG flows from the Persian Gulf, ING analysts write.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Fallon - who is a driving instructor and had two cars covered in dents - said she was concerned her insurance premium would increase.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
She put her hand on his head and tousled his high top a bit, leaving four finger dents in the crown.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
Revenue rose 8%, to $1.82 billion, dented by a $69.1 million hit from those changes and settlements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Last year, issues with an IT upgrade hit product availability at the supermarket and dented sales, impacting its bottom line.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
The company said market conditions remained dynamic throughout the recent quarter, with customer buying patterns dented by inventory levels and price volatility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Boeing on Tuesday reported a smaller quarterly loss compared with the same period last year -- when plane certification delay costs heavily dented results -- as it ramps up output carefully.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
He gestured at the misshapen pottery box on the ground, badly dented from its fall.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
As telecommunications investors sweat the threat of SpaceX, AT&T’s latest results on Wednesday just showed that Elon Musk’s company isn’t denting the growth of its internet business.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
Rates and energy prices weighed on other parts of the market, denting consumer spending and leading the Dow Jones industrials to a quarterly decline of 2.7%, or 1413 points.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 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
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
And for denting their big white chest freezer.
From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
