deafen
Americanverb (used with object)
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deafens,
present (3rd person singular)
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deafened,
past participle, past
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deafening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deafensimple
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deafenssimple
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have deafenedperfect
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has deafenedperfect
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am deafeningprogressive
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are deafeningprogressive
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is deafeningprogressive
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have been deafeningperfect progressive
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has been deafeningperfect progressive
Past
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deafenedsimple
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had deafenedperfect
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was deafeningprogressive
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were deafeningprogressive
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had been deafeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deafen
Explanation
To deafen is to make someone permanently or temporarily unable to hear, especially with a very loud noise. If the music at a party deafens you, you'll probably go home early. Things that might deafen you include a fire truck's siren, your brother blowing his trumpet in your ear, or an explosion. You can also use the word in a more figurative way, when something makes you feel overwhelmed by its loudness: "I'm sick of living on this busy road — when the bus goes by, it deafens me!" The earliest verb with this meaning was deaf, which became deafen by the late 16th century.
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.
See Examples For:
“The desire to deafen and respond with noise reflects a kind of discredit of the political discourse,” Christian Salmon, a French essayist and columnist for the online publication Slate, said in an interview.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2023
“Sirens deafen / Everything’s on fire in heaven, heaven,” she sings in what sounds like a moody lullaby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2022
Opposing sides defecate piles of paperwork at one another, seemingly hoping to discourage or deafen the opponent.
From Golf Digest ● Dec. 6, 2018
A species of Mexican fish amasses in reproductive orgies so loud they can deafen other sea animals, awed scientists have said, calling for preservation of the “spectacle” threatened by overfishing.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 19, 2017
Then he leaned over and put a hand beside his mouth, as if he did not wish to be overheard, an effect slightly lessened by his whisper, which was loud enough to deafen.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
To recognize that the paralysis of suffering deafens us to our own emotions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
But indiscriminately blocking or hiding the voices of those you don’t agree with does not silence them; it only deafens you.
From Slate ● Nov. 17, 2016
A seaport, South Street or otherwise, isn’t the right place to experience Dinosaur Jr.—the band is best enjoyed in a dark, enclosed room, where you can adore it viscerally, as it deafens you.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 14, 2014
When he blows his nose, he deafens his students, listening to his instructions through headphones.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 15, 2012
Dewey’s ears ring with it—a ringing that almost deafens him to the whispery rush of Smith’s soft voice.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Others, like dolphins and whales who use sonar for navigation, will be deafened.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2024
The team surgically deafened five mice and recorded their songs in a mouse-size sound studio, tricked out with infrared cameras and microphones.
From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2023
Yet when the researchers treated the mice with a plant-based cholesterol-like compound called phytosterols, the artificially deafened mice experienced improvement in their hearing.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2023
Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 30, 2023
She was hard of hearing in one ear, no doubt deafened by her own screaming.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Roxanne Brown’s journey to leading the United Steelworkers union didn’t start in the heat and deafening noise of a steel mill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Supporters lined the roads five hours before kick-off, the noise at kick-off was deafening, with some Mexico supporters in tears as they sang the national anthem.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The music and cheers blur into a low hum, drowned out by the deafening sound of a ticking clock only Jack can hear.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Vijay Sengal still remembers the deafening sound when the plane came down.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
It began not with an absence of noise or a deafening crush of earth, but with the gurgle of water and the alarm of a siren.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
