deafening
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
- deafeningly adverb
- half-deafening adjective
- nondeafening adjective
- nondeafeningly adverb
- quasi-deafening adjective
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 24-hour operation runs at a constant roar as machines grind rock at deafening volumes, its tunnels stretching for hundreds of kilometres beneath Poland's surface.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
For a recurring exhibition that is often chided for its deafening, in-your-face messaging, this edition of the show is all but silent; for a show that’s known—almost famous—for generating controversy, this outing is entirely anodyne.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Inside the Principality, the noise was deafening, The head thudded, the ears split.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026
In these circumstances, the deafening buzz of the everyday finally reduces to a faint, pleasant hum.
From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026
Each moment of deafening silence speaks louder than words could.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
