dampened; dampening
ˈdamp-niŋ 
ˈdam-pə-
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
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Changes in state regulations governing solar energy metering in California have helped to dampen demand for solar installations.
—
George Avalos, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
Earlier this month, the company warned investors to expect a lower rate of growth this year, blaming interest rate hikes for dampening demand.
—Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
And stocks sold off on Friday, led by risk-on tech shares, as investors also digested bank earnings and fresh inflation data that further dampened hopes for imminent Fed rate cuts.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
In Arkansas, the forecast shows clouds across much of the state, but Farrell is not letting that dampen her spirits.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Yet neither of these detours into zaniness or zealous handwringing can dampen the one thing that lies at the heart of Sharrock & Co.’s movie: a palpable sense of anger.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024
Such shifts in public opinion have bolstered the most hawkish segments of Israeli society while dampening internal calls for restraint.
—Rochelle Terman, Foreign Affairs, 27 Mar. 2024
While Lan’s arrest and the scale of the scam shocked the nation, the case also raised questions about whether other banks or businesses had similarly erred, dampening Vietnam’s economic outlook and making foreign investors jittery.
—Aniruddha Ghosal, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The industry’s inventory-to-sales ratio is near its 32-year-average of 1.96 to 1 according to Census Bureau data, and sales incentives have risen in recent months as high interest rates dampen demand.
—David Lawder, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024
George Avalos, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
Earlier this month, the company warned investors to expect a lower rate of growth this year, blaming interest rate hikes for dampening demand.
—Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
And stocks sold off on Friday, led by risk-on tech shares, as investors also digested bank earnings and fresh inflation data that further dampened hopes for imminent Fed rate cuts.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
In Arkansas, the forecast shows clouds across much of the state, but Farrell is not letting that dampen her spirits.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Yet neither of these detours into zaniness or zealous handwringing can dampen the one thing that lies at the heart of Sharrock & Co.’s movie: a palpable sense of anger.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024
Such shifts in public opinion have bolstered the most hawkish segments of Israeli society while dampening internal calls for restraint.
—Rochelle Terman, Foreign Affairs, 27 Mar. 2024
While Lan’s arrest and the scale of the scam shocked the nation, the case also raised questions about whether other banks or businesses had similarly erred, dampening Vietnam’s economic outlook and making foreign investors jittery.
—Aniruddha Ghosal, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The industry’s inventory-to-sales ratio is near its 32-year-average of 1.96 to 1 according to Census Bureau data, and sales incentives have risen in recent months as high interest rates dampen demand.
—David Lawder, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dampen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dampen
Cite this Entry
“Dampen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dampen. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dampen
verb
damp·en
ˈdam-pən
dampened; dampening
ˈdamp-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to check or lessen in activity or vigor : deaden
2
: to make or become damp
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