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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Dense: Definition, Usage & Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：closely packed (dense)

dense 🔊

/dens/

adj.

having a lot of things packed close together, with very little space in between.

closely packed 🔊

➕

/ˈkloʊsli pækt/

adj.

Describing objects or substances that are tightly packed with little space between them.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'densus', meaning thick or compact.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a dense fog where visibility is low—things are packed tightly together.

📖 Example

In the early morning, a dense fog covered the London streets, making it hard to see the buildings on the other side. 🔊 Early in the morning, thick fog enveloped London streets, obscuring the view of buildings opposite.

🔗 Collocations

dense fog – thick fog that reduces visibility

dense forest – a forest with trees growing close together

dense population – a high concentration of people in an area

🔄 Synonyms

thick (adj.) – having a large distance between opposite surfaces

compact (adj.) – closely and neatly packed together

crowded (adj.) – full of people or things

🚫 Antonyms

sparse (adj.) – thinly scattered or distributed

thin (adj.) – having a small distance between opposite surfaces

🌱 Derivatives

densely (adv.) – in a closely packed manner

density (n.) – the degree of compactness of a substance

📖 Cultural Story

Dense originates from Latin 'densus' (thick). In modern English, it is used in scientific contexts for physical density and in academia for complex texts.

Meaning 2：difficult to understand (dense)

dense 🔊

/dens/

adj.

difficult to understand because it has too much information or ideas that are very complex.

Dense text example with a magnifying glass over crowded paragraphs.

difficult to understand 🔊

➕

/ˈdɪfɪkəlt tu ˌʌndərˈstænd/

adj.

Referring to texts or ideas that are hard to comprehend due to their complexity or abundance of information.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My first philosophy textbook was so dense with abstract concepts that I had to read every paragraph twice. 🔊 My initial philosophy book contained such complex abstract ideas that I needed to reread each section.

🔗 Collocations

dense text – writing that is hard to read due to complexity

dense argument – a complex and detailed argument

dense prose – elaborate and difficult writing style

🔄 Synonyms

complex (adj.) – consisting of many connected parts; not simple

intricate (adj.) – very complicated or detailed

obscure (adj.) – not clearly expressed or easily understood

🚫 Antonyms

simple (adj.) – easy to understand or do

clear (adj.) – easy to perceive, understand, or interpret

🌱 Derivatives

denseness (n.) – the quality of being dense in texture or complexity

density (n.) – the complexity or compactness of information