dense
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
denser; densest
denser; densest
Britannica Dictionary definition of DENSE
[or more dense; most dense]
1
: having parts that are close together
- They cut a path through the dense jungle.
- dense undergrowth
- The book's pages were dense [=packed, filled] with helpful ideas.
- the cat's dense [=thick] coat of fur
- a dense tangle of wires
- heavy, dense bread
- a dense cluster of stars
2
: crowded with people
- That part of the city has a dense population of immigrants.
- A dense mass of spectators filled the courtroom.
3
informal : not smart : not able to understand things easily
- I'm sorry to be so dense [=slow-witted, stupid, dumb] this morning.
- In the movie, she plays his kind but somewhat dense aunt.
4
: difficult to see through
- We drove though dense [=thick] fog/smoke.
5
: difficult to understand
especially : hard to read
- The book's technical subject and dense prose will discourage many readers.
6
technical : heavier than most things of the same size
- a dense substance like lead or mercury
- a disease that causes bones to become less dense [=to become less solid and heavy]
— densely
adverb- a densely populated area [=an area in which many people live]
- densely forested mountains
- a densely packed sports arena
