damp

American  

[damp] / dæmp /

adjective

damper, dampest

1. slightly wet; moist.

   damp weather;

   a damp towel.

   Synonyms:

   steamy, dank

   Antonyms:

   dry

2. unenthusiastic; halfhearted; tepid.

   The welcoming committee gave them a rather damp reception.

3. dejected; depressed.

   I went shopping to lift my damp spirits.

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noun

1. moisture; humidity; moist air.

   damp that goes through your warmest clothes.

   Synonyms:

   vapor, fog

2. a noxious or stifling vapor or gas, especially in a mine.

3. depression of spirits; dejection.

4. a restraining or discouraging force or factor.

verb (used with object)

1. to make damp; moisten.

   Synonyms:

   humidify

2. to check or retard the energy, action, etc., of; deaden; dampen.

   A series of failures damped her enthusiasm.

   Synonyms:

   moderate, restrain, inhibit, slow, abate

3. to stifle or suffocate; extinguish.

   to damp a furnace.

4. Acoustics, Music. to check or retard the action of (a vibrating string); dull; deaden.

5. Physics. to cause a decrease in amplitude of (successive oscillations or waves).

verb phrase

1. damp off to undergo damping-off.

damp British  

/ dæmp /

adjective

1. slightly wet, as from dew, steam, etc

2. archaic dejected

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noun

1. slight wetness; moisture; humidity

2. rank air or poisonous gas, esp in a mine See also firedamp

3. a discouragement; damper

4. archaic dejection

verb

1. to make slightly wet

2. (often foll by down) to stifle or deaden

   to damp one's ardour

3. (often foll by down) to reduce the flow of air to (a fire) to make it burn more slowly or to extinguish it

4. physics to reduce the amplitude of (an oscillation or wave)

5. music to muffle (the sound of an instrument)

Related Words

Damp, humid, moist mean slightly wet. Damp usually implies slight and extraneous wetness, generally undesirable or unpleasant unless the result of intention: a damp cellar; to put a damp cloth on a patient's forehead. Humid is applied to unpleasant dampness in the air: The air is oppressively humid today. Moist denotes something that is slightly wet, naturally or properly: moist ground; moist leather.

Other Word Forms

• dampish adjective
• dampishly adverb
• dampishness noun
• damply adverb
• dampness noun

Etymology

Origin of damp

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (in sense of damp def. 5 ); compare Middle Dutch damp, Middle High German dampf “vapor, smoke”

Example Sentences

If something’s sticky or stubborn, let it sit with a damp cloth for a minute before wiping; it saves you from unnecessary scrubbing.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

It also “vibe scented” a horror movie, creating a fragrance, distributed at screenings, that “captures the chilling, damp, metallic stillness of a nightmare that won’t let you escape,” according to the film’s press materials.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

"The heating has gone off. I put it on in the morning for maybe an hour just to stop any damp from coming in, but that's it," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

At the same time, it’s in the interest of both hyperscalers and regulators to keep residential power costs in check, he said, as local backlash could damp enthusiasm for new projects in the state.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

I heard thunder somewhere, though, and the air was damp and heavy.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Related Words

• cloudy
• dank
• drizzly
• misty
• moist
• muggy
• saturated
• soaked
• sodden
• soggy
• steamy
• sticky
• waterlogged