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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

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 vehicle was shrouded in a dense fog from a nearby anti-mosquito spray truck. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025 Remove potential habitats for snakes Snakes are attracted to dense brush, loose lumber and rocks that can be typically laying around in one’s yard. Alyssa Cooper, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2025 My mom reassured me that women in my family have dense breasts, and that this was likely no big deal. Mindie Kaplan, Flow Space, 16 June 2025 The dense foliage of this evergreen can grow as much as 5 feet in a single year before reaching its mature height of 15 to 20 feet. Heather Bien, Southern Living, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for dense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dense
Adjective
  • 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
  • After the air space across large swaths of the Middle East turned into a no-fly zone, the skies over Afghanistan have become increasingly crowded as airlines seek alternative flight paths to connect Asia with Europe and the US.
    Leen Al-Rashdan, Fortune, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Simply lather a thick coating of petroleum jelly onto the scratch.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 June 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • The packed lineup includes blues stars and emerging artists.
    Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 12 June 2025
  • Near the end of the intermission, an audience member loudly cursed Trump’s name, an outburst that drew applause from the packed house.
    Dave Goldiner, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • The music is, for the most part, quiet and slow, often hovering at the edge of silence.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
  • Repeated waxing weakens follicles, making hair grow in finer and slower over time.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Money was tighter than a banjo string around the Carter house at that time.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
  • Aside from a brief period in the first half of the first quarter, the game stayed tight throughout the opening stages.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • This one is one person on the street obviously taking the soul of a protester who was stupid enough to go after some police officers.
    Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2025
  • The pair will make stupid decisions, and viewers will likely wonder: would a girl like Paula really do that for a mess like Sloane?
    Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • This compact and portable Bluetooth speaker can deliver up to 6W of dynamic sound and has a surprisingly punchy bass for its size.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
  • European manufacturers including Citroën, Renault, and Dacia have anticipated the move by releasing their own compact EVs to compete, and analysts said that prices had room to drop further as automakers turn to cheaper battery types.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 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

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Cite this Entry

“Dense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dense. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dense

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