dense

adjective

\ ˈden(t)s

denser; densest

Definition of dense

1a : marked by compactness or crowding together of parts dense vegetation dense traffic

b chemistry : having a high mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c) per unit volume (see volume entry 1 sense 2) Carbon dioxide is a dense gas. The cake was overly sweet and dense.

2a : slow to understand : stupid, thickheaded was too dense to get the joke

b : extreme dense ignorance

3 mathematics : having between any two elements at least one element The set of rational numbers is dense.

4 : demanding concentration to follow or comprehend dense prose

5 : having high or relatively high opacity (see opacity sense 2) a dense fog a dense photographic negative

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Choose the Right Synonym for dense

stupid, dull, dense, crass, dumb mean lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions. stupid implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary. stupid students just keeping the seats warm stupid with drink dull suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock. monotonous work that leaves the mind dull dense implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas. too dense to take a hint crass suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy. a crass, materialistic people dumb applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension. too dumb to figure out what's going on

dense, thick, and compact mean having parts that are gathered tightly together. dense is used of something in which the parts are very close together. They lost their way in the dense forest. thick is used of something that has many small parts that form a single mass. He has a thick head of hair. compact is used of something that has a close and firm gathering of parts, especially within a small area. The laptop has a compact design.

Examples of dense in a Sentence

They cut a path through the dense jungle. a dense tangle of wires a dense cluster of stars That part of the city has a dense population of immigrants. A dense mass of spectators filled the courtroom. In the movie, she plays his kind but somewhat dense aunt.

Recent Examples on the Web

Chase is in the middle of a dense, busy neighborhood with narrow streets and limited parking. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Chase Center evaluated by Feng Shui expert," 6 Sep. 2019 Nicolas Jaar’s inventive score is used to interesting, if sometimes overly portentous effect, often sounding like it's been slowed down and filtered through dense fog. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ema': Film Review | Venice 2019," 31 Aug. 2019 High hangovers typically come with a slight headache or severe dry mouth, while others just leave the user in a dense fog. — Mike Adams, chicagotribune.com, "Marijuana hangovers are real: What you need to know," 22 Aug. 2019 At the airport, some demonstrators in the ersatz welcoming committee warned visitors about the profusion of tear gas that police have fired across the city, including in tourist hotspots and dense residential neighborhoods. — Time Staff, Time, "Hong Kong Protesters Converge on the International Airport for a Three-Day Sit-In," 9 Aug. 2019 Perhaps, the author speculates, urbanites living in dense neighborhoods like these simply become acclimated to large municipal governments and powerful civil-society organizations like unions. — Lyman Stone, WSJ, "‘Why Cities Lose’ Review: Where Politics Meets Geography," 25 June 2019 McCormack was flying an eight-seat Agusta A109E helicopter as dense fog hung over Manhattan. — Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY, "New York chopper crash: Pilot's rating questioned amid questions over flight rules," 11 June 2019 The researchers plan to aim a particle accelerator’s high-intensity beam of electrons at a cold and dense cloud of oxygen atoms to break the atoms apart. — Maria Lovato, BostonGlobe.com, "MIT physicists design an experiment to study the origin of oxygen in the universe," 27 Aug. 2019 Firefighters were working in steep, rugged and dense terrain. — Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, "Firefighters make progress battling Mountain Fire near Redding," 24 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dense.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for dense

dense

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of dense

: having parts that are close together

: crowded with people

informal : not smart : not able to understand things easily

See the full definition for dense in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dense

adjective

\ ˈdens

denser; densest

Kids Definition of dense

1 : having its parts crowded together : thick dense vegetation dense fog

2 : stupid sense 1 I'm not dense enough to believe this story.

dense

Definition of dense

Other Words from dense

Synonyms & Antonyms for dense

Choose the Right Synonym for dense

Examples of dense in a Sentence

First Known Use of dense

History and Etymology for dense

English Language Learners Definition of dense

Kids Definition of dense

dense

Definition of dense

Other Words from dense

Synonyms & Antonyms for dense

Choose the Right Synonym for dense

Examples of dense in a Sentence

First Known Use of dense

History and Etymology for dense

English Language Learners Definition of dense

Kids Definition of dense

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