verb
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to make or become damp
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(tr) to stifle; deaden
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dampen
Explanation
To dampen something is to stifle it, to lessen its effect, or to moisten it. Getting a cold will dampen your enthusiasm. This word has several related meanings, most of which make something less effective or powerful. Using a towel will dampen it in the sense of getting it wet, but dampening goes beyond things that are damp (wet). Bad news will dampen your mood, bringing it down. Boxing gloves dampen the force of punches because they cushion the blows. Anything dampened has been weakened and brought down a notch.
Vocabulary lists containing dampen
Out of the Dust
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Undefeated
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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.
The U.S. midterm elections historically tend to dampen stock-market optimism, as was seen in 2018 and 2022, RBC notes.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
But that did not dampen the enthusiasm of those who had come to get a glimpse of someone on top of the world.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
The wealth management focus has helped dampen the volatility of the company’s returns.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
Drizzle could dampen Southern California on Monday and Tuesday before a heat wave arrives just in time for Mother’s Day weekend — possibly pushing the thermometer to 90 degrees in downtown L.A. on Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Holmes and the Williams sisters waited hours for their turn to board one of the northbound trains, but the wait did nothing to dampen their spirits.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
