overwordExplorer
ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

dent.

A shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.

4 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/dɛnt/UK, US
  1. A shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.

    The crash produced a dent in the left side of the car.
  2. A minor effect made upon something.

    figuratively
    to make a dent
  3. A type of maize/corn with a relatively soft outer hull, and a soft type of starch that shrinks at maturity to leave an indentation in the surface of the kernel.

  4. A sudden negative change, such as loss, damage, weakening, consumption or diminution, especially one produced by an external force, event or action

    broadly · informal
    That purchase put a bit of a dent in my wallet.
Where this word comes from

From Middle English dent, dente, dint (“a blow; strike; dent”), from Old English dynt (“blow, strike, the mark or noise of a blow”), from Proto-Germanic *duntiz (“a blow”). Akin to Old Norse dyntr (“dint”). Doublet of dint.

verb/dɛnt/UK, US
  1. To impact something, producing a dent.

    transitive
  2. To develop a dent or dents.

    intransitive
    Copper is soft and dents easily.
Where this word comes from

From Middle English dent, dente, dint (“a blow; strike; dent”), from Old English dynt (“blow, strike, the mark or noise of a blow”), from Proto-Germanic *duntiz (“a blow”). Akin to Old Norse dyntr (“dint”). Doublet of dint.

noun/dɛnt/UK, US
  1. A tooth, as of a card, a gear wheel, etc.

  2. A slot or a wire in a reed.

Where this word comes from

From French dent, from Latin dēns, dentis (“tooth”). Doublet of dens and tooth.

FROM WORD TO NAME

Try it on your idea.

dent has 4 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.

dent studiodent workshello, dent

These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.

Explore the name generator

A word with a source.

Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.