plural dents
plural dents
Learner's definition of DENT
[count]
: an area on a surface that is lower than the rest of the surface especially because of being hit or pushed in凹痕；凹坑
make/put a dent
◊ In figurative use, to make a dent (in something) or to put a dent in something is to decrease something slightly or to make it somewhat weaker.（用作比喻）减少，削减，减弱
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We tried our best to fix the problem, but nothing we did seems to have made a dent. [=nothing we did has had any effect]我们用尽全力解决问题，但似乎没能取得什么效果。
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It's going to take more than a new law to make a dent in the city's drug crime. [=a new law is not enough to decrease the city's drug crime]要减少本市的毒品犯罪，仅靠一部新法律还远远不够。
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The $10,000 payment hardly makes a dent in the amount the company owes.*1万美元的偿付对于这家公司的欠债来说只是杯水车薪。
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a vacation that won't put too big a dent in your wallet [=a vacation that will not cost a lot of money]花销不会很大的假期
2 dent /ˈdɛnt/ verb
dents; dented; denting
dents; dented; denting
Learner's definition of DENT
1
: to make a dent in (something)使凹陷；使产生凹痕 [+ object]
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I'm afraid I dented the wall pretty badly when I was hammering in that nail.很遗憾，我在钉那颗钉子的时候把墙砸出个大坑。
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He dented his (car's) fender in the accident.他在那起事故中撞凹了自己汽车的挡泥板。
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Many of the cans were badly dented.许多罐头都出现了严重凹痕。
[no object]
2
[+ object] : to decrease (something) : to make (something) weaker减少；削减；减弱