deafen

[def-uhn]

verb (used with object)

1. to make deaf.

   The accident deafened him for life.

2. to stun or overwhelm with noise.

   The pounding of the machines deafened us.

3. deaden.

4. Obsolete.,  to render (a sound) inaudible, especially by a louder sound.

deafen

/ ˈdɛfən /

verb

1. (tr) to make deaf, esp momentarily, as by a loud noise

Other Word Forms

• deafeningly adverb
• half-deafened adjective
• nondeafened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deafen¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; deaf + -en ¹

Example Sentences

My guess is that parts of “11,000 Strings” struck some listeners as deafening.

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It would eliminate the possibility of the Dodgers playing for their lives on Saturday, amid the deafening decibels of Citizens Bank Park.

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And the cacophony inside also started hours before the start and, when the action began, every Liverpool touch was greeted with deafening, piercing whistles.

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“It was a deafening silence,” Cocker says of its reception.

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On the football field, the deafening roar of the crowd and the buzz of adrenaline unify into one continuous hum, a voice in the back of a player’s head encouraging bloodlust and brutality.

Read more on Salon