dent

1 of 5

verb

dented; denting; dents

transitive verb

1
: to make a dent in
dent a car
2
: to have a weakening effect on

intransitive verb

: to form a dent by sinking inward : become dented

dent

2 of 5

noun (1)

1
: a depression or hollow made by a blow or by pressure
2
: an appreciable impression or effect often made against resistance
hasn't made a dent in the problem
specifically : a weakening or lessening effect
costs that have made a dent in the budget

dent

3 of 5

noun (2)

dent

4 of 5

abbreviation

dent-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or denti- or dento-
: tooth : teeth
dentiform

Examples of dent in a Sentence

Verb I'm afraid I dented the wall pretty badly when I was hammering in that nail. Many of the cans were badly dented. Some types of metal dent more easily than others. The team's confidence has been dented by a recent series of losses. Noun (1) there was a big dent in the car's hood where something had hit it a little belt-tightening would at least make a small dent in our credit-card debt
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Manchester United reported second-quarter financial results Wednesday, revealing a 12% overall revenue decline driven by the club’s absence from the UEFA Champions League, which dented broadcast revenue 42%. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 19 Feb. 2025 The country produces more coffee than any other, but severe drought has dented its yields. Steve Kopack, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
Noun
First things first: acne scars are a combination of pigmentation left over from inflammation and the dents in the skin left behind after acne breakouts. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025 Photos often show the exact device, including any scratches, dents or screen damage. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dent

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, short for indenten to make dents in, indent

Noun (2)

French, literally, tooth, from Latin dent-, dens

Combining form

Middle English denti-, from Latin, from dent-, dens tooth — more at tooth

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1703, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dent was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dent. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

dent

1 of 2 verb
1
: to make a dent in or on
2
: to become marked by a dent

dent

2 of 2 noun
1
: a notch or hollow made by a blow or by pressure
2
a
: an impression or effect made usually against resistance
that purchase made a big dent in our savings
b
: noticeable progress
made a dent in our pile of work

Medical Definition

dent

abbreviation

Biographical Definition

Dent

biographical name

Joseph Mal*a*by ˈma-lə-bē How to pronounce Dent (audio) 1849–1926 English publisher

More from Merriam-Webster on dent

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