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denseness

denseness

1 7.7
Not able to understand things quickly
  • noun
  • /ˈdɛnsnəs/
  • Offensive
translation icon : estupidez
  • Her denseness during the lesson made it challenging for the teacher to move forward.

Examples

  • He recognized his denseness when his friends had to explain the joke several times.

  • His denseness would make the next two weeks so much easier.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Lucette sighs at her denseness.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • He says that denseness and strangeness of the world is the absurd.

  • ( It is a testament to my denseness that I took this remark as a compliment.)

    Fiction book (2000)
  • And I would also say that if (as I understand to be true) this writer didn't make any reference either to the theological interpretation you mention, John, though it is so common, this is yet another level of denseness on his part.

    Blog text (22)
  • I apologize for my denseness; I really didn't grasp the concept at all.

Synonyms

stupidity
vsdenseness
115 2.5

Not being smart or having good judgment

centres on slowness in understanding rather than decision quality
cluelessness
vsdenseness
5 4.2

Not knowing what to do or how something works

is a lasting quality of slow understanding and limited mental ability
obtuseness
vsdenseness
  • Offensive
1 8.1

Being slow to understand or notice things

applies more broadly to slow understanding and low mental ability
dumbness
vsdenseness
  • Offensive
1 6.2

A state of not understanding things quickly

is the broader quality of slow understanding rather than a label
slowness
vsdenseness
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A condition when a person's ability to think and learn develops less quickly than usual

refers instead to a current slow understanding and limited mental ability
dullness
vsdenseness
1 3.8

Slow thinking and trouble understanding new things

emphasizes the same slowness but as an overall limited ability
doltishness
vsdenseness
  • Offensive
1 9.2

Being slow to understand things and often acting in a silly way

is a neutral description of slow understanding and limited ability
simple-mindedness
vsdenseness
  • Offensive
1 7.2

A way of thinking that is not careful or deep

is about slowness in understanding rather than simplicity of thought
dimwittedness
vsdenseness
  • Offensive
7.7

A quality of being slow to understand and making simple mistakes

is the general quality of slow understanding and limited mental ability
slow-wittedness
vsdenseness
  • Offensive
8.1

A state when someone is slow to understand things

covers slow understanding more generally rather than only response speed
unintelligence
vsdenseness
8.2

Low mental ability to think clearly or learn

focuses more specifically on slowness in understanding rather than general lack

Antonyms

418 3.0

Ability to learn, understand, and use knowledge to solve problems

16 2.8

Quick thinking that finds smart new ideas and solutions

3 3.8

A quick mind that shows itself by saying smart, funny things

How Intelligent

brilliance
42 4.1
intelligence
418 3.0
denseness
  • Offensive
1 7.7
idiocy
  • Offensive
40 8.0

Surface Forms

denseness singular
densenesses plural

Morphology

denseness = dense (semi-transparent) = dense + ness

Formed from the figurative adjective 'dense' meaning 'slow to understand'; the figurative sense is less immediately obvious to learners than the physical sense.

Etymology

The word denseness comes from the Latin densus, which means 'thick', and a helpful way to remember the meaning 'slow to understand' is to imagine a 'thick' mind. That's why calling someone 'dense' or talking about their denseness means they find ideas hard to follow.