noun
-
by means or use of
by dint of hard work
-
archaic a blow or a mark made by a blow
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
- dintless adjective
Etymology
Origin of dint
before 900; Middle English; Old English dynt; cognate with Old Norse dyntr
Explanation
The word dint is used to indicate that something came about through a particular force or means. So if you make a lot of money, that’s probably by dint of hard work. Dint and dent sound an awful lot alike. The good news is that they are actually related. Dint comes from an Old English word meaning "a hit or strike," often with a sword, and dent later came about as a regional variation in pronunciation. By dint of time, however, dent has come to mean the banged-in place where something hit, and dint is only used in the expression "by dint of" to mean "through the means of."
Vocabulary lists containing dint
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Julius Caesar
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"The Pit and the Pendulum," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
But amongst MPs in the other place next door, and outside the Houses of Parliament, the idea of continuing to allow aristocrats seats by dint of birth is anathema to many.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
“Home Alone” certainly made Culkin a star, which was its intention, and O’Hara, by dint of John Hughes’ characterization, an able partner.
From Salon • Feb. 4, 2026
By dint of geography and personalities, Brooklyn is now central to a contest former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a chief Mamdani opponent, portrayed in existential terms during a campaign stop there.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025
Yet by dint of personality alone, Son immediately lightened the mood.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025
Anyway I dint know that I knew how to work the mixer.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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.
