noun
dint
dihnt
noun
1
Force or effort, especially in the phrase "by dint of."
"She passed the exam by dint of sheer hard work."
2
A dent or mark left by a blow.
"There was a small dint in the car door from the hailstorm."
How to Use Dint
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMostly survives today in the phrase "by dint of," meaning "by means of" or "through."
Common mistake
Rarely used outside "by dint of" in modern English — using it as a plain synonym for "dent" will sound archaic.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
by dint of hard work
by dint of persistence
Word Forms
dinted past tense, dints plural, dints singular
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She passed the exam by _____ of sheer hard work.
Etymology
From Old English dynt, meaning a blow or strike, related to the same Germanic root as "dent."