by dint of (something)
by dint of (something)
Due to something. The largely outdated word "dint" refers to force or effort. By dint of hard work, I was able to get an A in my math class this semester.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
by dint of something
because of something; due to the efforts of something. (Dint is an old word meaning 'force,' and it is never used except in this phrase.) They got the building finished on time by dint of hard work and good organization. By dint of much studying, John got through college.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
by dint of
By means of, as in By dint of hard work he got his degree in three years. The word dint, which survives only in this expression, originally meant "a stroke or blow," and by the late 1500s signified the force behind such a blow. The current term preserves the implication of vigorous or persistent means.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
by dint of something
If something happens or is done by dint of something else, it happens or is done as a result of it. They got the address from her by dint of much persuasion. He succeeded by dint of sheer hard work.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
by dint of
by means of.Dint in the sense of ‘blow’ or ‘stroke’ is now archaic, and in the sense of ‘application of force’ survives only in this phrase.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
by dint of something/doing something
(formal) as a result of (doing) something; through: By dint of sheer hard work, she managed to pass all her exams.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
by dint of
By means of. The meaning of dint, originally a stroke or blow, gradually changed to signify the force or power behind the stroke. Shakespeare so used it in Julius Caesar (3.2): “O! now you weep, and I perceive you feel the dint of pity.” Today “dint” survives only in the cliché, which is always followed by an explanatory object such as “hard work,” “convincing argument,” or some other forceful explanation.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer