Meanings
plural dimples
- A small depression or indentation in a surface.
The accident created a dimple in the hood of the car.
1 more example
The garden pool's dark surface […] breaks into dimples small and bright.
1815, William Wordsworth, The White Doe of Rylstone; or, The Fate of the NortonsSynonyms: dent, depression, indentation
- A small natural depression on the skin, especially on the face near the corners of the mouth.
You have very cute dimples.
Synonyms: dent, depression, indentation
- A small depression, made with a punch on a metal object, as a guide for further drilling.
Synonyms: dent, depression, indentation
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small depression or indentation in a surface.
nounA small natural depression on the skin, especially on the face near the corners of the mouth.
nounA small depression, made with a punch on a metal object, as a guide for further drilling.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna chad that has been punched or dimpled but all four corners are still attached
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰewb-
- Proto-Germanic*dumpaz
- Proto-Germanic*dumpilaz
- Proto-West Germanic*dumpil
- Old English*dympel
- Middle Englishdimpel
- Englishdimple
From Middle English dimpel, dimpil, dympull, from Old English *dympel (“pit, depression”), from Proto-West Germanic *dumpil, from Proto-Germanic *dumpilaz (“sink-hole, dimple”), from Proto-Germanic *dumpaz (“hole, hollow, pit”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewb- (“deep, hollow”), equivalent to dialectal dump (“deep hole, pool”) + -le (diminutive suffix). Cognate with German Low German Dümpel, German Tümpel (“pond, pool”). Related also to Old English dyppan (“to dip”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic نُقْرَة, غَمّازة
- نُقْرَة (nuqra)small depression or indentation in a surface
- غَمّازة (ḡammāza)indentation in the cheek
Bulgarian падина, трапчинка
- падина (padina)small depression or indentation in a surface
- трапчинка (trapčinka)indentation in the cheek
Catalan clotet, clotet
- clotetsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- clotetindentation in the cheek
Chinese Mandarin 凹, 酒窩 /酒窝
- 凹 (āo)small depression or indentation in a surface
- 酒窩 /酒窝 (jiǔwō)indentation in the cheek
- 靨 /靥 (yè)indentation in the cheek
- 酒渦 /酒涡 (jiǔwō)indentation in the cheek
Czech důlek, dolík
- důlekindentation in the cheek
- dolíkindentation in the cheek
Dutch bult, gaatje
- bultsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- gaatjesmall depression or indentation in a surface
- kuiltjeindentation in the cheek
- blutsento form in
- indeukento form in
- deukento form in
Finnish kolo, lommo
- kolosmall depression or indentation in a surface
- lommosmall depression or indentation in a surface
- kolhusmall depression or indentation in a surface
- hymykuoppaindentation in the cheek
- kolhaistato form in
- kolhiato form in
- tehdä lommoto form in
French alvéole, fossette
- alvéolesmall depression or indentation in a surface
- fossetteindentation in the cheek
German Delle, Beule
- Dellesmall depression or indentation in a surface
- Beulesmall depression or indentation in a surface
- Grübchenindentation in the cheek
- eindellento form in
- einbeulento form in
Greek λακκάκι, πτυχώσει
- λακκάκι (lakkáki)indentation in the cheek
- πτυχώσει (ptychósei)to form in
Hebrew גומת חן \ גֻּמַּת חֵן, גומה \ גֻּמָּה
- גומת חן \ גֻּמַּת חֵן (gumát khén)indentation in the cheek
- גומה \ גֻּמָּה (gumá)indentation in the cheek
Hindi हिलकोरा
- हिलकोरा (hilkorā)indentation in the cheek
Hungarian gödröcske
- gödröcskeindentation in the cheek
Icelandic spékoppur
- spékoppurindentation in the cheek
Indonesian lesung pipi
- lesung pipiindentation in the cheek
Irish loigín, loigín
- loigínsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- loigínindentation in the cheek
Italian bozza, fossetta
- bozzasmall depression or indentation in a surface
- fossettaindentation in the cheek
Japanese 凹み, へこみ
- 凹み (kubomi)small depression or indentation in a surface
- へこみ (hekomi)small depression or indentation in a surface
- 靨 (ekubo)indentation in the cheek
- えくぼ (ekubo)indentation in the cheek
- ディンプル (dinpuru)indentation in the cheek
Korean 보조개, 볼우물
- 보조개 (bojogae)indentation in the cheek
- 볼우물 (borumul)indentation in the cheek
Latin gelasīnus
- gelasīnusindentation in the cheek
Malay lesung pipit
- lesung pipitindentation in the cheek
Māori tamarua, ngongo
- tamaruasmall indentation made on metal object
- ngongoindentation in the cheek
Norwegian Bokmål smilehull
- smilehullindentation in the cheek
Polish dołeczek
- dołeczekindentation in the cheek
Portuguese covinha, covinha
- covinhasmall depression or indentation in a surface
- covinhaindentation in the cheek
- ondearto form in
Romanian adâncitură, cufundătură
- adânciturăsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- cufundăturăsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- scobiturăsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- scufundăturăsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- gropițăindentation in the cheek
- crestato form in
Russian я́мка, вы́боина
- я́мка (jámka)small depression or indentation in a surface
- вы́боина (výboina)small depression or indentation in a surface
- я́мочка (jámočka)indentation in the cheek
Slovak jamka
- jamkaindentation in the cheek
Spanish hoyuelo, hoyuelo
- hoyuelosmall depression or indentation in a surface
- hoyueloindentation in the cheek
- camananceindentation in the cheek
- chocoyoindentation in the cheek
Swedish bula, buckla
- bulasmall depression or indentation in a surface
- bucklasmall depression or indentation in a surface
- inbuktningsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- smilgropindentation in the cheek
- skrattgropindentation in the cheek
Tagalog biloy
- biloyindentation in the cheek
Thai ลักยิ้ม
- ลักยิ้ม (lák-yím)indentation in the cheek
Turkish göçük, gamze
- göçüksmall depression or indentation in a surface
- gamzeindentation in the cheek
Vietnamese lúm đồng tiền
- lúm đồng tiềnindentation in the cheek
Welsh pannwl, crych
- pannwlsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- crychsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- pantsmall depression or indentation in a surface
- bochdwllindentation in the cheek
Yiddish חן־גריבל
- חן־גריבל (kheyn-gribl)indentation in the cheek
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with dimple
All rhymes →Cite this entry
dimple. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dimple
“dimple.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dimple. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dimple,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dimple.
Source: dimple on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.