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as in thick
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily she accused him of being dense when he didn't seem to understand her at first

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dense are crass, dull, dumb, and stupid. While all these words mean "lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions," dense implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas.

too dense to take a hint

When can crass be used instead of dense?

The words crass and dense can be used in similar contexts, but crass suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy.

a crass, materialistic people

When might dull be a better fit than dense?

While the synonyms dull and dense are close in meaning, dull suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock.

monotonous work that leaves the mind dull

When would dumb be a good substitute for dense?

The meanings of dumb and dense largely overlap; however, dumb applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension.

too dumb to figure out what's going on

When is it sensible to use stupid instead of dense?

The words stupid and dense are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stupid implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary.

stupid students just keeping the seats warm
stupid with drink

Examples of dense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But there are remote sections of the park, and the forest is dense, with a thick understory of rhododendron obscuring terrain beyond the trail. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2024 With the machine, the team found that the inflated cells were less dense than the surrounding seawater. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Oct. 2024 For those varieties that grow in full shade, expect that their form to be less dense and more open and airy. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2024 However, Mayor Baxter suggests venturing into the dense bushland around Marokopa is not a good idea for those unaccustomed to the terrain. Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dense 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near dense

Cite this Entry

“Dense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dense. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on dense

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