damper

American  

[dam-per] / ˈdæm pər /

noun

1. a person or thing that damps or depresses.

   His glum mood put a damper on their party.

2. a movable plate for regulating the draft in a stove, furnace, etc.

3. Music.

   1. a device in stringed keyboard instruments to deaden the vibration of the strings.

   2. the mute of a brass instrument, as a horn.

4. Electricity. an attachment to keep the indicator of a measuring instrument from oscillating excessively, as a set of vanes in a fluid or a short-circuited winding in a magnetic field.

5. Machinery. a shock absorber.

6. Australian.

   1. a round, flat cake made of flour and water, and cooked over a campfire.

   2. the dough for such cakes.

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damper British  

/ ˈdæmpə /

noun

1. a person, event, or circumstance that depresses or discourages

2. to produce a depressing or inhibiting effect on

   the bad news put a damper on the party

3. a movable plate to regulate the draught in a stove or furnace flue

4. a device to reduce electronic, mechanical, acoustic, or aerodynamic oscillations in a system

5. music the pad in a piano or harpsichord that deadens the vibration of each string as its key is released

6. any of various unleavened loaves and scones, typically cooked on an open fire

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damper Idioms  

1. see put a damper on.

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Etymology

Origin of damper

First recorded in 1740–50; damp + -er ¹

Explanation

When you put a damper on something, you restrain it or inhibit it. Putting a damper on things usually means bringing them down — your car troubles might put a damper on your travel plans. A forecast of afternoon thunderstorms will put a damper on your picnic preparations, and being assigned a long research paper on Friday might be a damper on your weekend free time. More physical kinds of dampers include a device that restrains air in a chimney, by blocking or directing its flow, and a pad that's made to soften or muffle the sound from a musical instrument.

Example Sentences

Critics warn they could put a damper on investment in the U.S. from the European Union and other places.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Then there’s the question of protecting teams against the threat of their prized assets’ getting hurt—a complicated issue that has already put a damper on the WBC before the first pitch has even been thrown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

That’s put a damper on the optimism heading into this year about a potential dollar rebound.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 23, 2026

Then came the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023 that put a damper on production again.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

The air grew hotter and damper, as if they were plummeting into the throat of a massive dragon.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan