deadening

[ded-n-ing]

noun

1. a device or material employed to deaden or render dull.

2. a device or material preventing the transmission of sound.

3. a woodland in which the trees are killed by girdling prior to being cleared.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deadening¹

First recorded in 1775–85; deaden + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

They were trying to return from popular Emerald Bay to their west side home in midafternoon when eight-foot swells swamped the boat, deadening the engine and capsizing the vessel off rocky Rubicon Point near D.L.

From Los Angeles Times

Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.

From Los Angeles Times

That sounds dramatic until you study the rise of fascism throughout history, which has always required a slow deadening, numbing and apathy in people.

From Los Angeles Times

And the shine from his latest gold medal hasn’t come close to deadening.

From Los Angeles Times

But it also has a deadening clockwork quality.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• calming www.thesaurus.com