dampen
verb
damp·en
| \ ˈdam-pən
\
\
dampened;
dampening\ ˈdamp-niŋ
, ˈdam-pə- \
, ˈdam-pə- \
Definition of dampen
1
: to check or diminish the activity or vigor of : deaden
the heat dampened our spirits
2
: to make damp
the shower barely dampened the ground
3
: damp sense 1c
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Other Words from dampen
dampener
\ ˈdamp-nər
, ˈdam-pə- \
noun
, ˈdam-pə- \
noun
Examples of dampen in a Sentence
Dampen the spot with a wet cloth.
The shower barely dampened the ground.
We wouldn't let the bad weather dampen our excitement.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Japan announced Monday that its manufacturing spending had fallen for the first time in two years during the second quarter, which experts sees as further evidence of the trade war’s dampening effect. — Taylor Telford, Washington Post, "Global markets rattled amid Brexit, U.S.-China trade war standoffs; Dow falls 300 points," 4 Sep. 2019 Japan announced Monday that its manufacturing spending had fallen for the first time in two years during the second quarter, which experts sees as further evidence of the trade war’s dampening effect. — Taylor Telford, BostonGlobe.com, "Stocks slump broadly as expanded US-China tariffs kick in," 3 Sep. 2019 Mexico especially is hoping that the lobbying effort will help dampen Mr Trump’s wrath if the number of Central American migrants approaching the United States does not fall. — The Economist, "How Mexico and Canada are trying to bypass Donald Trump," 15 June 2019 This postseason, the Blues are 9–3 away from St. Louis, dampening celebrations from Winnipeg to Dallas to San Jose while their home arena has been jammed with fans who paid for a seat and the right to watch on the Enterprise Center jumbotron. — Joan Niesen, SI.com, "On the Road Again: Blues Hope to Rebound as Visitors Like They Have All Season," 10 June 2019 The central bank can buy or sell currency — or order commercial banks to do so — to dampen price movements. — Joe Mcdonald, Washington Post, "China lets yuan sink, Trump says serious talks to start," 26 Aug. 2019 After the teams returned to the field and the game became official, the Rays broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the sixth inning and went on to win the series opener, 5-2, before what was left of a dampened announced crowd of 8,153. — Peter Schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles allow 259th and 260th homers of season, setting dubious major league record with 34 games left," 23 Aug. 2019 Although its laws guarantee rights to speech and assembly, Macau has plenty of tools for dampening dissent, including stern national-security legislation of a type that does not yet exist in Hong Kong. — The Economist, "Why Macau is impervious to the turmoil in Hong Kong," 22 Aug. 2019 Still, many mainstream news organizations continue to rely on the convenience of inventive euphemism, dampening the impact that more direct language could have in framing the administration’s racist cruelty. — Syreeta Mcfadden, The Atlantic, "What Toni Morrison Knew About Trump," 13 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dampen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for dampen
dampen
verb
English Language Learners Definition of dampen
: to make (something) somewhat or slightly wet : to make (something) damp
: to make (something) less strong or active
See the full definition for dampen in the English Language Learners Dictionary
dampen
verb
damp·en
| \ ˈdam-pən
\
\
dampened;
dampening
Kids Definition of dampen
1
: to make or become slighty wet
Please dampen this washcloth.
2
: to make dull or less active
A bad start didn't dampen our confidence.
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