deafen
Americanverb (used with object)
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deafens,
present (3rd person singular)
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deafened,
past participle, past
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deafening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deafensimple
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deafenssimple
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have deafenedperfect
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has deafenedperfect
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am deafeningprogressive
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are deafeningprogressive
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is deafeningprogressive
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have been deafeningperfect progressive
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has been deafeningperfect progressive
Past
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deafenedsimple
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had deafenedperfect
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was deafeningprogressive
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were deafeningprogressive
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had been deafeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deafen
Explanation
To deafen is to make someone permanently or temporarily unable to hear, especially with a very loud noise. If the music at a party deafens you, you'll probably go home early. Things that might deafen you include a fire truck's siren, your brother blowing his trumpet in your ear, or an explosion. You can also use the word in a more figurative way, when something makes you feel overwhelmed by its loudness: "I'm sick of living on this busy road — when the bus goes by, it deafens me!" The earliest verb with this meaning was deaf, which became deafen by the late 16th century.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“The desire to deafen and respond with noise reflects a kind of discredit of the political discourse,” Christian Salmon, a French essayist and columnist for the online publication Slate, said in an interview.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2023
Jamming “can blind and deafen an aircraft very quickly and very dangerously, especially if you lose GPS and radar and you’re a jet flying at 600 miles an hour.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2022
“Sirens deafen / Everything’s on fire in heaven, heaven,” she sings in what sounds like a moody lullaby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2022
Opposing sides defecate piles of paperwork at one another, seemingly hoping to discourage or deafen the opponent.
From Golf Digest ● Dec. 6, 2018
Then he leaned over and put a hand beside his mouth, as if he did not wish to be overheard, an effect slightly lessened by his whisper, which was loud enough to deafen.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
To recognize that the paralysis of suffering deafens us to our own emotions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
But indiscriminately blocking or hiding the voices of those you don’t agree with does not silence them; it only deafens you.
From Slate ● Nov. 17, 2016
Another competition of this mould - regardless of how it is packaged - would surely just add to the white noise that already deafens fans of football’s most saturated market.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 13, 2015
A seaport, South Street or otherwise, isn’t the right place to experience Dinosaur Jr.—the band is best enjoyed in a dark, enclosed room, where you can adore it viscerally, as it deafens you.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 14, 2014
Dewey’s ears ring with it—a ringing that almost deafens him to the whispery rush of Smith’s soft voice.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Another said: "I have 2 very excited daughters. Almost got deafened by the screaming when the purchase was verified."
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2024
Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 30, 2023
The telescope is among the most sensitive in the world at these low frequencies, but it could soon be deafened by signals emanating from a mundane source: electric trains.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 7, 2023
Even under his noise-canceling headset, Baseer said, the blast deafened him.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2022
There was a titter and soon great rolling whoops of laughter deafened him.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
The deafening response suggested he’d gotten it almost right: In fact, it had been too long.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
But the pine trees lining Krystal Polk's home, in her family for generations, don't protect her from the data center's deafening drone, which sounds like a jet that never takes off.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Roxanne Brown’s journey to leading the United Steelworkers union didn’t start in the heat and deafening noise of a steel mill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Supporters lined the roads five hours before kick-off, the noise at kick-off was deafening, with some Mexico supporters in tears as they sang the national anthem.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
I staggered up to a tree and collapsed under it in the deafening silence.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
