dint

Sometimes things don't happen easily—they take a lot of effort. Today, you’ll mostly meet dint in the phrase "by dint of," which means "by means of" or "through the force of." It often points to hard work or persistence: "She succeeded by dint of steady practice." But it can also point to other kinds of force, like influence or authority: "He got his way by dint of his position." The older, more literal sense is a "blow" or the mark left by one—a dent.

The word "dint" is a bit of a hidden gem in modern English. While you might rarely hear it used on its own, it lives on in the sturdy idiom "by dint of." It doesn't just mean "because of"—it points to the force, pressure, or advantage that made something happen. Very often that "force" is hard work and persistence, so it can carry a sense of something being earned rather than coming easily.

You'll often see it used to highlight the driving force behind a victory. For example: "She succeeded by dint of hard work and dedication," meaning her success was the direct result of her diligent labor. Or, "He finally broke through the opposition by dint of his unwavering persistence." In both cases, "dint" acts as the bridge between the struggle and the result.

The idiom can also be used more broadly, not only for effort. Sometimes it points to advantage, influence, or authority: "He was admitted by dint of his rank." The common thread is still the same idea—something happened because a certain force (hard work, power, position, or influence) pushed it through.

Historically, "dint" is closely related to "dent," and it could mean a physical blow or the dent made by that blow. In Old English, a "dint" (or dynt) was a strike—like one delivered by a sword or a hammer. Over time, the meaning widened from the hit itself to the force behind it, and then to the general sense of "by means of" or "by virtue of."

While it sounds formal or literary today, using "dint" adds a layer of grit to your descriptions. It is a subtle way to emphasize that something was accomplished not through luck, but through sheer will and repeated effort.