Synonyms

dampen

American

[dam-puhn] / ˈdæm pən /

verb (used with object)

to make damp; moisten.

to dampen a sponge.
to dull or deaden; depress.

to dampen one's spirits.
damp.

verb (used without object)

to become damp.

dampen British

/ ˈdæmpən /

verb

to make or become damp
(tr) to stifle; deaden

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

dampener noun
undampened adjective

Etymology

Origin of dampen

First recorded in 1620–30; damp + -en ¹

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.

Big builders were among the companies bearing the brunt of dampened housing expectations on Wednesday: D.R.

From Barron's

Canada’s economy has been rocked the past year by the shift in U.S. trade policy and use of tariffs, which has weighed on exports and dampened business sentiment even as household demand has shown resiliency.

From The Wall Street Journal

It dampens a signaling pathway known as mTOR, which normally drives cells to activate, grow, and repair tissue.

From Science Daily

England have also battled to dampen the noise around their group throughout this T20 World Cup campaign.

From BBC

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tried to dampen speculation the deficit would grow.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023