What does dented mean?
'Dented' describes a surface that bears a small hollow or depression left by a blow, bump, or sustained pressure — most familiarly on car panels, metal cans, helmets, and household goods. The word works equally well as an adjective ('a dented bucket') and as the past form of the verb 'to dent', and it extends naturally into figurative territory: a person can suffer dented pride, a company a dented reputation, and a plan dented expectations. This metaphorical use is extremely common in everyday speech and journalism, giving the word a versatility that purely physical terms lack. Its connotations are generally mild rather than severe — a dented object usually still functions, and dented feelings are bruised rather than destroyed — so speakers often pair it with qualifiers like 'slightly'. Derived ultimately from the Latin 'dens', meaning tooth, 'dent' belongs to a family of words including 'dental', 'dentist', and even 'dandelion', making 'dented' both practical and etymologically surprising.
Having a small hollow or depression in a surface, typically caused by a blow or pressure.
"She bought the washing machine cheap because it was slightly dented."
Also used figuratively for damaged confidence, pride, or reputation.
Past tense and past participle of 'dent': to have made a small depression in something, or figuratively to have weakened or harmed something such as confidence or sales.
"The scandal dented his credibility more than anyone expected."
The word 'dent' comes straight from the Latin dens, meaning tooth — so every dent is, etymologically speaking, a little bite mark, which is why 'dandelion' literally means 'lion's tooth'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dented
'Dented' derives from 'dent', which English borrowed in the sixteenth century from Latin 'dens' (stem 'dent-'), meaning tooth — the same root that gives us 'dental', 'dentist', and 'trident'. The noun 'dent' first meant a tooth or notch before settling into its modern sense of a hollow left by impact, and the verb followed shortly after. The past participle 'dented' thus carries a lineage stretching back through Middle French borrowing to classical Latin, with cousins across Romance languages such as French 'dentele' and Spanish 'diente'.
Related word forms
How dented is actually used
As an adjective, 'dented' is common and neutral in register, describing physical damage; it is also widely used figuratively for harm to intangibles like pride or credibility, often softened with qualifiers such as 'slightly' or 'hardly'. As a verb form, 'dented' functions as the past tense and past participle of 'to dent'.
Easily confused with dented
A 'dint' is a blow or force, surviving chiefly in the phrase 'by dint of' meaning 'by means of', whereas 'dented' describes something bearing the hollow mark left by such a blow.