dense
dense — adjective
1. having many parts packed closely together, making it hard to move through, see t
having many parts packed closely together, making it hard to move through, see through, or breathe in
Aiko could barely see the road ahead through the dense morning fog.
collocation: dense fog / dense smoke
The dense crowd at the station made it impossible for Diego to find his sister.
collocation: dense crowd / dense forest
Hikers need a machete to get through the dense jungle undergrowth.
Campfire smoke was so dense that Leila could not see her friends across it.
pattern: so dense that [result]
- dense fog
- dense smoke
- dense crowd
- dense forest
- dense jungle
- dense undergrowth
Grammar Patterns
dense + noun
be + dense
Usage Note
Often describes crowds, forests, fog, smoke, or undergrowth. Works both before a noun (dense fog) and after a linking verb (the fog is dense).
Common Mistakes
2. having a lot of mass packed into a small volume, making the object weigh much mo
having a lot of mass packed into a small volume, making the object weigh much more than you would expect from its size
Lead is a very dense metal — a small cube of it feels surprisingly heavy.
collocation: dense metal / dense material
Mei chose a dense marble rolling pin because its weight helped her flatten dough easily.
collocation: dense marble; practical context showing density benefit
Rohan compared a dense iron brick with a lighter block of wood the same size.
comparative structure: denser than / as dense as
Theo was surprised that the little metal ball was so dense and heavy.
- dense metal
- dense material
- dense substance
- dense object
- extremely dense
- highly dense
- light
low density; opposite in everyday and technical use
Grammar Patterns
dense + noun
be + dense
Usage Note
Common in scientific and technical contexts. A dense substance has high mass per unit volume. The noun form is 'density'.
Common Mistakes
3. not quick to understand or learn things; slow-thinking
not quick to understand or learn things; slow-thinking
Tomás called his brother dense for missing the joke, but he only meant it teasingly.
informal register: calling someone dense
Yara felt dense when she could not solve the simple puzzle her friend finished in seconds.
Nadia called herself dense after she locked her keys inside the car for the third time.
self-deprecating use
Kofi felt too dense to follow the lecturer's quick explanation of the theory.
- too dense
- so dense
- a bit dense
- dense about something
Grammar Patterns
be + dense
Usage Note
Can be offensive if used directly about a person's intelligence. Often softened with self-deprecation ('I felt so dense'). Prefer 'slow' or 'not quick to catch on' in polite conversation.
Common Mistakes
4. packed with so many ideas or details that following it requires close attention
packed with so many ideas or details that following it requires close attention and effort
Priya found the philosophy textbook too dense to read before bed.
collocation: dense text / dense writing
The judge's ruling was so dense with legal terms that Bao had to read it twice.
pattern: dense with [details / references / information]
Amara prefers short news articles over dense academic papers.
Hana found the contract so dense that she hired a lawyer to explain the main points.
result clause: so dense that
- dense text
- dense writing
- dense prose
- dense with information
- dense with detail
- too dense
- dense material
- accessible
easy to read and understand
- simple
not complicated or detailed
Grammar Patterns
dense + noun
be + dense
dense with + noun
Usage Note
Typically describes written or spoken material that is intellectually demanding, not unpleasantly long. Often collocates with 'dense with' to name what fills the text.