dimple
Americannoun
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a small, natural hollow area or crease, permanent or transient, in some soft part of the human body, especially one formed in the cheek in smiling.
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any similar slight depression.
verb (used with object)
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to mark with or as if with dimples; produce dimples in.
A smile dimpled her face.
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Metalworking.
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to dent (a metal sheet) so as to permit use of bolts or rivets with countersunk heads.
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to mark (a metal object) with a drill point as a guide for further drilling.
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verb (used without object)
noun
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a small natural dent or crease in the flesh, esp on the cheeks or chin
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any slight depression in a surface
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a bubble or dent in glass
verb
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to make or become dimpled
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(intr) to produce dimples by smiling
Other Word Forms
- dimply adjective
- undimpled adjective
Etymology
Origin of dimple
1350–1400; Middle English dimpel, Old English *dympel; cognate with German Tümpel pool
Explanation
A dimple is a small indentation in a surface. A dimple on your cheek is cute, but a dimple on your car door is not so cute. A dimple can be an imperfection or tiny dent, but it's often a little cleft in a person's cheek or chin. People whose dimples show when they smile are particularly charming, and a dimpled chin is often considered quite handsome. One theory of the word's origin is that it meant "pothole" in Old English, from a Proto-Germanic root.
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.
Sometimes I grow my beard in, but sometimes I like showing my dimple.
From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2024
"That is a pimple on a dimple on an ant's left cheek compared to what we need in the world," Banga said.
From Reuters • Sep. 26, 2023
Chances are, the photos will show the waves in his dark hair and the dimple that emerges when he smiles.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2022
Adding to that stress, one of JWST’s 18 mirror segments was struck by a larger than expected micrometeoroid in May, leaving a small dimple.
From The Verge • Jul. 7, 2022
When he smiles like that, there’s a single dimple.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
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.
