dent
B2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A small hollow or depression made in a surface by a blow or pressure.
A reduction in amount, level, or degree; a damaging effect on something less tangible, like confidence, reputation, or finances.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Both as a noun and a verb, 'dent' implies a physical or metaphorical indentation caused by an external force. It suggests a partial, not total, impairment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical. The verb 'dented' is the standard past tense and participle in both, not 'dent'.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equal frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + dent + [Object] (e.g., The hailstorm dented the roof.)There is/are + a dent + in + [Object] (e.g., There's a dent in the door.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “make a dent in something (e.g., We haven't made a dent in this huge workload.)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically to describe negative impact on profits or market share (e.g., 'The new tariffs put a dent in our quarterly earnings.')
Academic
Less common; can be used in social sciences to discuss impacts on metrics like public trust.
Everyday
Common for describing minor car damage or impact on plans/mood (e.g., 'The bad news put a dent in our holiday plans.')
Technical
Used in engineering and materials science to describe plastic deformation from an impact.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The shopping trolley dented the side of my car.
- The scandal dented the politician's reputation.
American English
- I dented the fender in the parking lot.
- High prices are denting consumer confidence.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look, there is a dent in the car door.
- The ball dented the metal can.
- Can we repair this dent, or do we need a new panel?
- Falling sales have dented the company's profits.
- The criticism didn't just annoy him; it dented his self-esteem for weeks.
- After hours of work, we had barely made a dent in the pile of paperwork.
- The new evidence put a significant dent in the prosecution's carefully constructed argument.
- His credibility was irreparably dented by the revelations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'DENTist' - a dentist fixes dents (cavities) in your teeth.
Conceptual Metaphor
REDUCTION/IMPAIRMENT IS A PHYSICAL INDENTATION (e.g., denting profits, denting morale).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'вмятина' for metaphorical uses where 'ущерб', 'урон', or 'снижение' is more appropriate.
- The verb 'to dent' is not 'выбивать' but rather 'делать вмятину', 'прогибать', or metaphorically 'подрывать'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'dent' as a past tense verb (e.g., 'He dent the car' is wrong; correct: 'He dented the car').
- Confusing 'dent' with 'scratch' (a surface mark) or 'hole' (a complete puncture).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'dent' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is common as both, but the noun form is slightly more frequent in everyday language (e.g., talking about damage to a car).
A dent is a depression in the surface, changing its shape. A scratch is a shallow cut or mark on the surface, but the shape remains unchanged.
Rarely. 'Dent' almost always implies an unwanted or negative reduction. You wouldn't say 'dent our debts'; you'd say 'reduce our debts'.
It means to make a noticeable, but often incomplete, start on reducing a large amount of work, a problem, or a supply (e.g., 'I read for two hours but hardly made a dent in the book.').
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