deafen
to make deaf: The accident deafened him for life.
to stun or overwhelm with noise: The pounding of the machines deafened us.
Obsolete. to render (a sound) inaudible, especially by a louder sound.
Origin of deafen
1Other words from deafen
- deaf·en·ing·ly, adverb
- half-deafened, adjective
- non·deaf·ened, adjective
Words Nearby deafen
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use deafen in a sentence
It’s deafening, really — perhaps because there’s a standing ovation beneath it.
‘Charm Offensive’ suffers from too much drama | Terri Schlichenmeyer | October 2, 2021 | Washington BladeRelatives told WLS that Melissa’s father jetted outside of the house after hearing the deafening gunshots.
‘It’s a Nightmare’: Teen Wrestling Champ Gunned Down While Sitting in Her Car | Zoe Richards | September 27, 2021 | The Daily BeastThe circle-of-life spectacle comes with a deafening mating ritual—plus sex in the treetops, predation and also, inevitably, death.
An Animated Guide to This Year's Massive Brood X Cicada Emergence | Rebecca Katzman | May 12, 2021 | TimeSara and Matt Taglieri were enjoying dinner at their home in New Hampshire on Tuesday when a deafening blast knocked pictures off their walls and shook their house’s foundation.
A huge explosion cracked house foundations in New Hampshire. An ‘extreme’ gender-reveal party was to blame. | Andrea Salcedo | April 23, 2021 | Washington PostThree species make up Brood X, and they are known for their fire-engine-red eyes, their deafening choruses and their dramatic emergence every 17 years.
What is Brood X? When do cicadas come out in 2021? Answering your buggiest questions. | Bonnie Berkowitz, Artur Galocha | April 1, 2021 | Washington Post
Silence helps them to continue depriving their people of opportunities…the silence is so loud that it might deafen society.
Portraits Of Courage: Female Journalists Honored At International Women’s Media Foundation Awards | Katie Baker | October 24, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTHe told Barb that a mortar landed close enough to temporarily deafen him.
He cannot hear us up there; and, by the belt of Ashur, the king's voice raised in anger is enough to deafen a man in both ears!
Sarchedon | G. J. (George John) Whyte-MelvilleTrembling she took shelter inside the open stable door, her heart beating so hard it seemed to deafen her.
The Moving Finger | Mary GauntThem racketin's would deafen the saints themselves, so they would.
The Misfit Christmas Puddings | The Consolation ClubThe noise of the discharge is an evil, it ought to be made to do work, not deafen.
The Modern Pistol and How to Shoot It | Walter WinansWill you give me my cue—it is of no use to ask him when we are to deafen you.
The Daisy Chain | Charlotte Yonge
British Dictionary definitions for deafen
/ (ˈdɛfən) /
(tr) to make deaf, esp momentarily, as by a loud noise
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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