dense

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "dense" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is closely packed together or difficult to understand due to complexity. Example: "The scientific paper was so dense that I had to read it multiple times to grasp the concepts."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Lifestyle

Travel

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

You'll pass through the dense forest of Piano Provenzano, across ancient lava flows and to elevations with views across the Ionian Sea.

The Guardian - Travel

Investigators were searching in dense forest and farmland with abandoned buildings, as well as using road blocks and conducting house-to-house checks.

The Guardian

Wandering through the dense undergrowth, we came across little stone churches and clapboard houses.

The Guardian - Travel

Questioned later about his remarks, Kerry went back on message and said he alluding to the difficulty that Israel faces combatting Hamas in such a a dense area.

The Guardian

The dense cover of thorns also makes it an excellent nesting and roosting cover for small birds(particularly good if you have bad cats in your 'hood).

The Guardian - Lifestyle

In the dense city and slums, sanitation often means open defecation, the use of bags or chamber pots emptied into rubbish heaps or canals, or the construction of crude, shallow pit latrines – everywhere and anywhere.

The Guardian

However, in unskilled British hands, the results are often, even if just millimetres thick, doughy, dense and bloating.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

In a city as dense as Mumbai, public space is a precious, life-enhancing commodity.

The Guardian

Which polymerises to form a dense mesh, and swells up when exposed to water.

The Guardian

So the collider is about to resume its journey back in time, to probe the strange forces and entities that must have existed in some dense, hot, viscous broth that filled the nascent universe, before ordinary matter started to precipitate, as space started to expand and time to tick.

The Guardian - Opinion

Fracking, by contrast, requires substantial amounts of energy to release gas from dense underground rocks, and some of the gas is likely to be flared rather than captured.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing abstract concepts, use "dense" to convey complexity or difficulty in understanding. For example: "The legal document was incredibly dense."

Common error

Don't use "dense" when a simpler word like "thick" or "compact" would suffice, especially in informal contexts. For example, instead of "a dense crowd", consider "a large crowd".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "dense" is as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe their compactness, complexity, or opacity. As seen in Ludwig, it often qualifies physical entities like "forest" or abstract concepts like "scripts".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Lifestyle

13%

Travel

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Music

3%

Opinion

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective "dense" is a versatile word used to describe the compactness, complexity, or opacity of something. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and sees frequent use across diverse contexts, particularly in News & Media, Lifestyle, and Travel. When using "dense", consider the specific nuance you wish to convey, whether it's the physical tightness of a space or the difficulty in understanding a concept. Be mindful of simpler alternatives like "thick" or "compact" in informal settings. With its neutral register and widespread applicability, "dense" remains a valuable tool in effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

compact

Focuses on the tightly packed nature of something, similar to one sense of "dense".

thick

Emphasizes the substantial nature or resistance to penetration, akin to "dense" in certain contexts.

crowded

Highlights the presence of many elements in a limited space, reflecting a meaning of "dense".

packed

Suggests a state of being tightly filled or compressed, similar to "dense".

opaque

Focuses on the inability to see through or understand something, aligning with "dense" in abstract uses.

complex

Emphasizes intricacy and difficulty in understanding, resembling the intellectual sense of "dense".

impenetrable

Stresses the impossibility of passing through or understanding, akin to "dense" in certain contexts.

concentrated

Highlights a high amount of a substance in a small area, similar to "dense".

impermeable

Focuses on the inability of fluids to pass through, aligning with a physical sense of "dense".

solid

Emphasizes the firmness and lack of empty space, similar to one sense of "dense".

FAQs

How can I use "dense" in a sentence?

You can use "dense" to describe something that is closely packed, like "a "dense forest"", or something difficult to understand, such as "a "dense text"".

What are some synonyms for "dense"?

Alternatives for "dense" include "compact", "thick", "crowded", "opaque", and "complex" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "dense population"?

Yes, "dense population" is a correct and commonly used phrase to describe a large number of people living in a small area. See the examples of this phrase used in the provided contexts.

What's the difference between "dense" and "thick"?

"Dense" generally refers to how tightly packed something is, while "thick" refers to its physical dimension or consistency. A "dense" forest has many trees close together, while a "thick" liquid has a high viscosity.