by dint of


by dint of (something)

Due to something. The largely-outdated word "dint" refers to force or effort. By dint of hard work, I was able to get an A in my math class this semester.See also: by, dint, of

by dint of something

because of something; due to the efforts of something. (Dint is an old word meaning 'force,' and it is never used except in this phrase.) They got the building finished on time by dint of hard work and good organization. By dint of much studying, John got through college.See also: by, dint, of

by dint of

By means of, as in By dint of hard work he got his degree in three years. The word dint, which survives only in this expression, originally meant "a stroke or blow," and by the late 1500s signified the force behind such a blow. The current term preserves the implication of vigorous or persistent means. See also: by, dint, of

by dint of

by means of. Dint in the sense of ‘blow’ or ‘stroke’ is now archaic, and in the sense of ‘application of force’ survives only in this phrase.See also: by, dint, of

by dint of something/doing something

(formal) as a result of (doing) something; through: By dint of sheer hard work, she managed to pass all her exams.See also: by, dint, of, something

by dint of

By means of. The meaning of dint, originally a stroke or blow, gradually changed to signify the force or power behind the stroke. Shakespeare so used it in Julius Caesar (3.2): “O! now you weep, and I perceive you feel the dint of pity.” Today “dint” survives only in the cliché, which is always followed by an explanatory object such as “hard work,” “convincing argument,” or some other forceful explanation.See also: by, dint, of