deafening

[def-uh-ning]

adjective

1. overwhelmingly loud; booming; earsplitting: the deafening sound of a chainsaw.

   the crowd’s deafening roar;

   the deafening sound of a chainsaw.

noun

1. deadening.

deafening

/ ˈdɛfənɪŋ /

adjective

1. excessively loud

   deafening music

Other Word Forms

• half-deafening adjective
• nondeafening adjective
• nondeafeningly adverb
• quasi-deafening adjective
• deafeningly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of deafening¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; deafen + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The crickets and cicadas make a ceaseless, deafening buzz, coyotes cry mournfully in the distance, songbirds cheep and squawk at the first hint of dawn.

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When the conductor sounded three deafening, mournful hoots on the train whistle, the children covered their ears and howled even more loudly in protest.

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One sloppy murder attempt becomes full-on farce as Man-soo finds himself shouting marital advice to an intended victim over deafening music before the action devolves into a messy three-way scrum.

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Only a few minutes into practice, it became deafeningly clear that the Bruins weren’t preparing for West Georgia anymore.

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Survivors describe the sound of a tsunami as everything from a deafening rumble to a rasping hiss.

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Related Words

• blaring www.thesaurus.com
• noisy 
• ringing www.thesaurus.com
• roaring 
• rowdy 
• thunderous 
• vociferous