dent1 noundent2 verb
dentdent1 /dent/ noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINdent1
Origin:
1200-1300 dintEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Emma backed into a tree, leaving a dent in the car's rear bumper.
- The picture frame came with scratches, dents and marks that make it look old.
- As they try to cut stocks, this is likely to make a big dent in orders to manufacturing industry and importers.
- Churchill's stroke in June 1953 put a dent in the working of the Government.
- It rapidly became evident that this clinic could not make even a dent in the problem.
- That would put a dent in his omnipotence.
- There was a large dent in the panel and a scratch in the paint.
- Young, holding the ball a little too long, came through the sacks without a dent.
Longman Language Activatora place on a surface that is lower than the rest
a place where the surface of the ground goes down suddenly: dip in: · The boy fell off his bicycle when he went over a dip in the road too fast.
a place or area in a hard surface that is slightly lower than the rest of the surface, especially caused by something pressing hard on it: indentation in: · The X-rays showed a slight indentation in the man's skull.· She gently made an indentation in the centre of each cookie.
an area, especially of the ground, that is slightly lower than the area around it, caused by something heavy pressing on it: depression in: · You could see a depression in the ground where the helicopter had landed.· The depressions in the sand are made by turtles, that come up here to lay their eggs.
a place in the surface of something, especially metal, that is slightly lower because something has hit it accidentally: · The picture frame came with scratches, dents and marks that make it look old.dent in: · Emma backed into a tree, leaving a dent in the car's rear bumper.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
The trip made a big dent in our savings. Eight years of effort have hardly put a dent in drug trafficking.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Make a hole in the paper. The cup has made a mark on the table.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
1a hollow area in the surface of something, usually made by something hitting itdent in The trip made a big dent in our savings. Eight years of effort have hardly put a dent in drug trafficking. (=make it less strong)· A bad experience like that can dent your confidence.
Make a hole in the paper. The cup has made a mark on the table.· As they try to cut stocks, this is likely to make a big dent in orders to manufacturing industry and importers.· And a hell of a price it is for that first big dent.
VERB· The Wolfies have been around for almost ten years but have never made any major dents on the charts.· Prevention education has been unable to halt this behavior, or even to make much of a dent in it.· Take heart: the green consumer movement has made a significant dent in manufacturing practices over a very short time.· These strategies are commonsensical and have made a large dent in the fertility of many nations.· If we drop a tin can probably nothing will happen; at the worst we may make a small dent.· It rapidly became evident that this clinic could not make even a dent in the problem.· As they try to cut stocks, this is likely to make a big dent in orders to manufacturing industry and importers.· Among most it has barely made a dent.
· That would put a dent in his omnipotence.· But the First World War put a dent in business and neither the train line nor the hotel lasted through the Second.· Churchill's stroke in June 1953 put a dent in the working of the Government.
There was a large dent in the passenger door.2a reduction in the amount of somethingdent in The trip made a big dent in our savings. Eight years of effort have hardly put a dent in drug trafficking.dent1 noundent2 verb
dentdent2 verb VERB TABLE
dent
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | dent |
| he, she, it | dents | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | dented |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have dented |
| he, she, it | has dented | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had dented |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will dent |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have dented |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am denting |
| he, she, it | is denting | |
| you, we, they | are denting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was denting |
| you, we, they | were denting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been denting |
| he, she, it | has been denting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been denting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be denting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been denting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Baseball's image was dented by the labor dispute.
- He accidentally dented the garage door, trying to reverse in.
- Some idiot dented my car door last night.
- And he classed the strike which dented his old club's promotion challenge as one of the most important of his career.
- Moving this took 15 trips in my ancient Renault, which struggled under loads that threatened to dent its roof bars.
- She'd dented that enormous ego of his, hadn't she?
- This rather dents the claim that good is completely simple.
Longman Language Activatorto make a hole in the ground or surface of something
to make a space by removing the inside part of something: hollow out something/hollow something out: · Carefully hollow out the pineapple and then fill it with the ice-cream.
British to make a hole in the ground using a tool that is made for digging: · To plant the tree you need to dig out a hole about 20 cm wide and 30 cm deep.· The workmen were already digging out the foundations for the building.
to make a deep cut in a surface, using something sharp, especially in order to remove something: · The blade gouged a deep wound in her leg.gouge out something/gouge something out (=remove something by violently cutting a hole): · In the play he tries to gouge out his own eyes.
to make a very small hole in something, especially accidentally, using something pointed such as a pin: · A small bead of blood formed where she had pricked her finger.· Prick the potatoes before baking them.
to make a narrow hole in something using a tool that turns round and round very quickly: · I heard the dentist start drilling, but I couldn't feel anything.drill for oil/water/gas etc: · Oil companies still drill for oil off Santa Barbara.drill into: · It sounds like someone's drilling into the wall.
to make a hole in a hard surface such as rock or the ground using a lot of pressure, especially in order to find or remove minerals, coal etc: · The mining company bored a 5000 foot hole.· The machine they used to bore the tunnel is the size of a two storey house.bore into/through: · They had to bore through solid rock.
to accidentally hit the surface of something, especially something metal, so that part of the surface is bent or slightly lower than the rest: · He accidentally dented the garage door, trying to reverse in.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Make a hole in the paper. The cup has made a mark on the table.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
1[intransitive, transitive] if you dent something, or if it dents, you hit or press it so that its surface is bent inwards: (=make it less strong)· A bad experience like that can dent your confidence.
Make a hole in the paper. The cup has made a mark on the table.· Most agreed the experience had dented their confidence and morale, leaving lasting memories of isolation and frustration.· The Gulf war has severely dented business and consumer confidence.· Launching into the career search process with even a slightly bruised attitude will end in failure and more dents to your confidence.
No one was injured, but the car was scratched and dented.2[transitive] to damage or harm something: The scandal has dented his reputation.