dampen

[dam-puh n]

verb (used with object)

to make damp; moisten: to dampen a sponge.
to dull or deaden; depress: to dampen one's spirits.
damp(def 10).

verb (used without object)

to become damp.

Origin of dampen

First recorded in 1620–30; damp + -en¹

Related formsdamp·en·er, nounun·damp·ened, adjective

Can be confuseddamp dampen moist (see synonym study at damp)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for dampening

depress, discourage, moderate, mute, inhibit, restrain, chill, curb, diminish, allay, stifle, dull, cloud, cool, dabble, moisten, sprinkle, water, spray, wet

Examples from the Web for dampening

Contemporary Examples of dampening

Indeed, Bernanke complained that fiscal policy was dampening growth.
Ben Bernanke to Congress: You’re Doing It Wrong
Daniel Gross
May 22, 2013
If you think the pill is dampening your sex drive, it might be time to end your relationship with oral contraceptives.
Should You Quit the Pill?
Lizzie Crocker
November 6, 2011
The market for new houses turned down sharply last month, dampening hopes for a rapid recovery.
The 20 Worst Places to Sell Your Home
Richard Florida
August 31, 2010

Historical Examples of dampening

The rain came on just then and perhaps assisted in dampening their ardour.
The Escape of a Princess Pat
George Pearson
The others were silent, all conscious of a dampening of enthusiasm.
The Girl from the Big Horn Country
Mary Ellen Chase
This paper can be used only for dry printing, where it does not require any dampening at all.
The Invention of Lithography
Alois Senefelder
Kells always at this hour had a dampening effect upon his followers.
The Border Legion
Zane Grey
But this, instead of dampening the ardor of the inventor and his aides, only increased it.
The Boy Scouts for Uncle Sam
John Henry Goldfrap

British Dictionary definitions for dampening

dampen

verb

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

Derived Formsdampener, noun

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

Word Origin and History for dampening

dampen

1630s, "to dull or deaden" (of force, enthusiasm, ardor, etc.), from damp (adj.) + -en (1). Meaning "to moisten" is recorded from 1827. Related: Dampened; dampening.