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• 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.

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verb (used with object)

• dents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dented,
  past participle,  past
• denting
  present participle

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)

• dents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dented,
  past participle,  past
• denting
  present participle

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.

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dent- ³ American  

1. variant of denti- before a vowel.

   dentin.

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dent. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. dental.

2. dentist.

3. dentistry.

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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

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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

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dent. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. dental

2. dentistry

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dent More Idioms  

1. see make a dent in.

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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

• undented
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• denting
  present
• dented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dent
  simple
• dents
  simple
• have dented
  perfect
• has dented
  perfect
• am denting
  progressive
• are denting
  progressive
• is denting
  progressive
• have been denting
  perfect progressive
• has been denting
  perfect progressive

Past

• dented
  simple
• had dented
  perfect
• was denting
  progressive
• were denting
  progressive
• had been denting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dent
  simple
• will have dented
  perfect
• will be denting
  progressive
• will have been denting
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

dent dent. dents dented denting

A slowdown in the pace of AI development wouldn’t necessary dent spending, but there are other reasons semiconductor investors may want to take a measured approach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

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

Reverse mortgages unlock wealth while overcoming the costs and emotional aspects of selling a house, but they can put a serious dent in bequests as fees and interest add up.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

But I look at her house to see if I put a dent in it.

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor

“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

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

“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

Flock has 120,000 cameras in 49 states that capture 20 billion license plates a month—along with dents, bumper stickers and other identifying features, reports Kris Maher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Hail the size of golf balls left holes in conservatory roofs and dents in cars after a storm described as "like something out of a movie".

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

After a while, I make more dents on my feet, legs, arms, and face.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

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

On a monthly basis, the gauge dropped 0.13%, signaling dented household confidence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 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

Some of the scales were dented, pitted, and cracked; others were missing entirely, revealing long, crooked scars in the bare skin beneath.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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

Dominion’s shares were trading at such a discount—about a quarter lower than NextEra’s forward earnings multiple—that the latter was able to offer a hefty premium without denting its earnings growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 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

She sat up now, her elbows denting the pillow as she looked into my face.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• incision
• indentation