1
as in crowded
having little space between items or parts
the dense soil in the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of dense
The tree has a dwarf, symmetrical columnar growth form with dense branching.
—
Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2025
Radar scans of the hill revealed a dense concentration of ancient ruins buried below: the remnants of a 2,300-year-old city.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025
From dense, intensely aromatic reds to delicate whites, from sparkling to still, from sweet to fortified, there is a wine here that will suit any palate.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
In addition, most microlensing efforts are recorded at the Galactic Center -- the densest part of the Milky Way, Edita Stonkutė, an associate professor of astronomy at Vilnius University, said in a statement.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dense
Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2025
Radar scans of the hill revealed a dense concentration of ancient ruins buried below: the remnants of a 2,300-year-old city.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025
From dense, intensely aromatic reds to delicate whites, from sparkling to still, from sweet to fortified, there is a wine here that will suit any palate.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
In addition, most microlensing efforts are recorded at the Galactic Center -- the densest part of the Milky Way, Edita Stonkutė, an associate professor of astronomy at Vilnius University, said in a statement.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dense
Adjective
-
The crowded marketplace this offseason would appear to be one of those circumstances.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Although the Indianapolis Colts wide receiver room is fairly crowded with Josh Downs and Michael Pittman in town, Mitchell had a strong rookie season.—
Steve Bradshaw,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
As thick clouds billowed out of Eyjafjallajökull, the skies over the North Atlantic — one of the world’s busiest aviation routes — fell silent, with air traffic dropping to levels that wouldn’t be seen again until the Covid pandemic a decade later.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
21 June 2025
-
Simply lather a thick coating of petroleum jelly onto the scratch.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Last night, a packed audience was treated to early footage and designs from the new Stranger Things animation.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
-
The only packed houses come in Miami, where three of the city’s four games are sold out or have only $1,000 club seats available; seeing Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Real Madrid or Bayern Munchen will cost you.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
Repeated waxing weakens follicles, making hair grow in finer and slower over time.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
-
The music is, for the most part, quiet and slow, often hovering at the edge of silence.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
The timeline is tight—most growth drivers need to materialize before 2028—but the groundwork is established.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Steer clear of harsh chemicals and tight hairstyles to prevent further hair loss.—
Health,
Health,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
The Lotus bench is pretty compact and, when its main compartment is closed, doesn’t even look like it’s intended for storage.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
26 June 2025
-
The carrying case is also compact, so the board gets extra points for being easy to store in the off-season, too.—
Anna Popp,
Travel + Leisure,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Mexican men were dismissed as violent Panchos and stupid Pedros.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
-
There’s more stupid romance around harder substances but few chemicals are more hazardous to ambition than THC.—
Benjamin Hale
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dense. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share