dent

A dent is a small, inward impression on a surface. Whereas the surface was once smooth, something pushed against it, perhaps causing a small amount of damage.

• My car has a dent.
• There’s a dent on the door.
• That old car has a lot of dents on it.
• You can take your car to a body shop and they’ll pull out the dents.
• It cost a thousand dollars to fix a dent in the fender.
• We got a discount when we bought this refrigerator because it has a dent on the front door.
• We’re barely making a dent in paying off our debts. (The word "dent" is often used in reference to making progress in paying back loans.)

The word "dent" is also used as a verb:

• Someone dented my car.
• If you’re not careful about where you park your car, it might get dented. (This clause is in the passive voice.)
• Someone dropped a heavy object on the table and dented the top.
• Aluminum siding on a house is easily dented.
• Metal trash cans are often dented because they get banged around so much.

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April 4, 2019