dampen
/ˈdæmpən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.81 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To lessen; to dull; to make less intense (said of emotions and non-physical things).
Transitive verb
verb
To suppress vibrations (mechanical) or oscillations (electrical) by converting energy to heat (or some other form of energy).
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "We won't let the bad news dampen our spirits."
- "He was dreadfully familiar with everything, and talked about some places we were longing to see in a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm."
- "Pregnant women are 20 times as likely as other healthy young women to contract listeriosis, probably because in pregnancy the immune system is dampened to prevent rejection of the fetus."
- "The firm said changes in consumer behaviour had also dampened demand for the powder."
Etymology
From damp + -en.