deafening
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deafening
Explanation
When a sound is deafening, it's overwhelmingly loud. You may think you're prepared after a flash of lightning, but the deafening sound of thunder can still make you jump! Deafening noises are so loud that they block out all other sounds. The deafening siren from a passing ambulance easily overwhelms the quiet conversation at your breakfast table, and a deafening roar inside a music venue may make you regret your decision to see your favorite band live. While deafen means "make deaf," deafening generally means something closer to "making you temporarily unable to hear."
Vocabulary lists containing deafening
Turn It Up! Synonyms for "Loud"
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 3
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Unit 1, Week 5
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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.
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
He stepped to the line and breathed deep in the face of a deafening Knicks crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
The noise - lasting and deafening - rose up and swirled around like a typhoon, gathering up everybody in its vicinity, delirious Hearts folk thrilled to be sucked into the vortex.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
The sudden silence in the auditorium was even more pronounced because of the deafening noise that had preceded it.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
