Dense Definition & Meaning

dense
adjective
  1. permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter; "dense smoke"; "heavy fog"; "impenetrable gloom"
  2. hard to pass through because of dense growth; "dense vegetation"; "thick woods"
  3. having high relative density or specific gravity; "dense as lead"
  4. slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him"; "never met anyone quite so dim"; "although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students"

Synonyms for dense

compact adj

closely and firmly united or packed together; "compact soil

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concentrated adj

gathered together or made less diffuse; "their concentrated efforts"; "his concentrated attention

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dim adj

lacking in light; not bright or harsh; "a dim light beside the bed

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dull adj

lacking in liveliness or animation; "he was so dull at parties"; "a dull political campaign

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dumb adj

slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him

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heavy adv

slowly as if burdened by much weight; "time hung heavy on their hands" of comparatively great physical weight or

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impenetrable adj

not admitting of penetration or passage into or through; "an impenetrable fortress

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obtuse adj

of an angle; between 90 and 180 degrees (of a leaf shape) rounded at the apex lacking in insight or discernment

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slow adv

without speed (`slow' is sometimes used informally for `slowly'); "he spoke slowly

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stupid adj

lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock

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"Dense" in song lyrics

See how dense is used in real songs:

  • "For all you scroungy suckers whose minds are dense"
    The 7A3 — 1/2 Bouldin, the Other 1/2 Ince
  • "Oh bury his head and how could I have been so dense"
    Aesop Rock — Dryspell
  • "Flippin' rhymes to represent, til your speakers catch a dense"
    A.L.T. & J.V. — Represent the Brown

Words that rhyme with dense

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Usage tips for "dense"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "dense" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for dense to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with dense ↔ Synonyms for dense 🔬 Words containing dense

Frequently asked questions

What does dense mean?
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter; "dense smoke"; "heavy fog"; "impenetrable gloom" hard to pass through because of dense growth; "dense vegetation"; "thick woods" having high relative density or specific gravity; "dense as lead" slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him"; "never met anyone quite so dim
What part of speech is dense?
Dense is an adjective.
How many definitions does dense have?
Dense has 4 definitions across 1 part of speech (adjective).

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