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.

---

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

---

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”

Explanation

Something that's damp is slightly wet or soggy. If your shoes are damp when you enter your friend's white-carpeted house, you should probably take them off. Damp things are moist. Your lawn might be damp with dew in the morning, and if it's supposed to rain lightly, the weather report might include the word damp. Sometimes damp is a noun, as when your grandmother warns, "Don't go out in the damp without your umbrella!" To damp is to hold back, make soft, or restrain: "Use your hand to damp the sound of the cymbal after you hit it with the drumstick."

Example Sentences

Damp earth can also make it difficult for machines to get close to the trees.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2024

Damp is more common in the privately rented sector than in owner-occupied homes, those provided by local authorities, or housing associations.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2024

Damp and dreary form a well-known verbal and meteorological partnership.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2023

Are there any comparable health benefits to a Damp January?

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2023

Damp seeped through his gloves as he clutched at roots and rocks, crawling toward the light.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

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