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as in thick
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily she accused him of being dense when he didn't seem to understand her at first

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dense are crass, dull, dumb, and stupid. While all these words mean "lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions," dense implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas.

too dense to take a hint

When can crass be used instead of dense?

The words crass and dense can be used in similar contexts, but crass suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy.

a crass, materialistic people

When might dull be a better fit than dense?

While the synonyms dull and dense are close in meaning, dull suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock.

monotonous work that leaves the mind dull

When would dumb be a good substitute for dense?

The meanings of dumb and dense largely overlap; however, dumb applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension.

too dumb to figure out what's going on

When is it sensible to use stupid instead of dense?

The words stupid and dense are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dense Overdoing it on the mixing, even by hand, can result in flat, tough, or dense cookies. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025 The explosion in new construction projects was also allowed by the fact that the Austin city government has made building new apartments easier in recent years, rewriting zoning laws, cutting parking requirements, and encouraging dense, walkable development. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 La Jolla Walk-In Campsite The La Jolla Walk-In Campsite is a small campground in dense chaparral in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025 Instead, my family spent time idling in a hammock under a dense canopy of trees, napping in the dappled sunshine. Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for dense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dense
Adjective
  • In crowded markets, differentiation often comes from the interface, not the engine.
    Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • At least nine of the 25 arrested have landed in immigration detention — scattered across the country from a crowded lockup in Miami to a facility in a sleepy Texas railway town to a confinement in a Pacific Northwest port city overlooked by Mount Rainier.
    Hannah Critchfield, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Its thick plastic outer casing is impervious to flex.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 28 May 2025
  • Conversely, smog, cloud cover, and thicker ozone layers limit the amount of UV radiation that reaches the skin.6 Locations further from the equator at higher altitudes experience less sunlight in the winter and more in the summer.
    Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • Now, Coral Springs, considered a suburb of Fort Lauderdale but attracting Miami commuters as well, is a packed city with plenty of culture, recreation and business.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
  • On Sunday, the team lifted the Premier League Trophy at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, its first time lifting the trophy in front of a packed stadium as its previous victory was during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • Despite the retirement of highly successful Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, the transition to Vulcan has been slow and continues to impact the completion of Space Force mission objectives.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2025
  • Here in Croatia, the pace of life is slower, especially in smaller towns.
    Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Autonomous vehicle technology has been hard to commercialize, with tight regulations and heavy investments forcing many companies to give up.
    Akash Sriram, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • But there are also plenty of tight binary systems, where the stars orbit each other at a radius that would place them both comfortably inside our Solar System.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Not just on the training pitch but in the dorm rooms, talking about the future and giggling at stupid jokes.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • President Donald Trump said only stupid people would refuse a $400 million gift.
    Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Best Overall Infant Tub This infant tub is compact, durable, and supportive.
    Laura Lu, Parents, 22 May 2025
  • With its compact form, Suntastic™ 'Radiance' Abelia also makes an excellent container plant.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017

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Cite this Entry

“Dense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dense. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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