What does dent mean?
A dent is a small depression or hollow formed in a hard surface when it is struck or pressed, as when a shopping trolley leaves a dent in a car door. The word also functions as a verb meaning to create such a depression. Beyond its literal sense, dent is widely used figuratively: progress can be dented by delays, confidence can be dented by criticism, and effort can 'make a dent in' a large task, meaning to reduce it noticeably. These figurative uses give the word a mildly negative connotation of damage or diminishment, though usually of a minor, recoverable kind — a dent suggests superficial harm rather than ruin. The noun and verb are both standard in British and American English and suit informal and formal contexts alike. Interestingly, although its spelling resembles Latin-derived words like 'dentist' or 'dental', the English word dent has no connection to teeth; it descends instead from Old English 'dynt', meaning a blow, through the older form 'dint'. This blend of concrete imagery and idiomatic flexibility makes dent a compact, useful word for describing both physical damage and setbacks of any kind.
A small hollow or depression in a hard surface caused by a blow or pressure.
"There was a dent in the metal panel where the ball had struck it."
Often used figuratively in phrases like 'make a dent in' to indicate noticeable progress or reduction.
To make a depression in something by striking or pressing it, or figuratively, to weaken or diminish something such as confidence or momentum.
"Falling sales dented the company's profits last quarter."
Regular plural; commonly used when describing multiple marks on a surface, as in bodywork inspection.
"The old car had dents all along both doors."
Despite its toothy-looking spelling, 'dent' has nothing to do with teeth — it's actually a shrunken form of the Old English word 'dint', meaning a heavy blow.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dent
The word dent originated in Middle English as a phonetic variant of dint, which comes from Old English dynt, meaning a heavy blow or stroke. Over time, dent narrowed to mean the mark or depression left by such a blow, while dint itself largely fell out of everyday use except in the fixed phrase 'by dint of', meaning 'by means of'. It is unrelated to the Latin root dens (tooth) found in dentist and dental, despite the shared spelling.
Related word forms
How dent is actually used
Both noun and verb are neutral in register and common in everyday speech. The figurative uses ('make a dent in', 'dent someone's confidence') are very frequent and idiomatic, often appearing with negative or diminishing connotations.
Easily confused with dent
A dint is an archaic word for a blow or a dent made by one, surviving mainly in the phrase 'by dint of' meaning 'by means of', whereas dent is the everyday modern word for a depression in a surface.