Dint is an old-fashioned word meaning force or power, though you'll almost always see it in the phrase by dint of, which means “by means of” or “through the use of.”

When someone succeeds by dint of hard work, they've achieved their goal through effort and determination. A student might master long division by dint of practice, or an athlete might make the team by dint of persistence and daily training. The phrase suggests that success came from sustained effort rather than luck or natural talent alone.

You might read that an inventor created something remarkable by dint of curiosity and experimentation, or that explorers survived by dint of courage and resourcefulness. The expression has an old-fashioned, literary feel to it, but it captures something important: the idea that force of will and persistent effort can overcome obstacles.

Less commonly, dint can also mean a small dent or hollow, like the dint left in soft wood when you drop something on it, though this meaning is rare in modern writing.