dent

1 of 5

verb

ˈdent 

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)

: tooth sense 2a

dent

4 of 5

abbreviation

dental; dentist; dentistry

dent-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or denti- or dento-

: tooth : teeth

dentiform

Synonyms of dent

Verb

• reduce
• decrease
• lower

Noun (1)

• hole
• pit
• cavity

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

Verb

That also explains why the wall-denting video is such a strong showcase. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026

The front bumper of Shelton's car is now cracked and the hood is dented. —Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 13 June 2026

Noun

To that end, despite his best attempts, Emanuel is not putting a dent in early hypothetical 2028 Democratic primary polls. —Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2026

But several shots appear to hit with enough force to leave visible impact marks and dents in the wall. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026

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

Phrases Containing dent

• dent corn
• make/put a dent

Rhymes for dent

• bent
• blent
• cent
• ent
• fent
• lent
• meant
• pent
• rent
• rente
• scent
• sent

Kids Definition

dent

1 of 2 verb

ˈdent 

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

dental; dentist; dentistry

Biographical Definition

Dent

biographical name

ˈdent 

Joseph Mal*a*by ˈma-lə-bē  1849–1926 English publisher