put a damper on

1. Discourage, dishearten, deter, as in Grandpa's death put a damper on our Christmas holidays. This idiom employs the noun damper in the sense of “something that damps or depresses the spirits,” a usage dating from the mid-1700s.

Example Sentences

It’s likely that Thursday’s storm will be more beneficial than hazardous, helping to further put a damper on the autumn fire season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

High housing costs have long put a damper on sales.

Read more on Barron's

High housing costs have long put a damper on sales.

Read more on Barron's

The possibility of a comprehensive trade deal between the U.S. and China may be lifting the broader stock market, but it has put a damper on a niche sector that has been getting a big boost as tensions increased.

Read more on MarketWatch

Even if there aren’t any more cockroaches, the credit scare could still put a damper on the economy.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• avert 
• block 
• dampen 
• daunt 
• discourage 
• dissuade 
• forestall 
• frighten 
• hinder 
• impede 
• intimidate 
• obstruct 
• preclude 
• prevent 
• prohibit 
• restrain 
• scare 
• stop