damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

1

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration

2

: a device that damps: such as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a small felted block to stop the vibration of a piano string

c

chiefly British : shock absorber

3

Australia : a simple usually unleavened bread of a kind made originally in the Australian bush

Synonyms

• mute

Examples of damper in a Sentence

the pianist used the damper pedal on the piano for the quiet passages

Recent Examples on the Web

The result is that prices have started to drop across much of the state, as historically high mortgage rates are still putting a significant damper on demand, despite growing inventory giving buyers more options. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025

The Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe Reimagined by Singer has a six-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, and adjustable dampers. —Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 May 2025

These dampers act as a block at the main duct trunk line, causing your system to function like there isn’t a vent in that particular room at all. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 30 June 2025

Especially speed bumps, expansion joints, and washboard-like surfaces, which shows that Aston Martin probably spent a lot of time perfecting the dampers’ compression tuning. —Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing damper

• put a damper on

Rhymes for damper

• camper
• hamper
• pamper
• scamper
• stamper
• tamper

Kids Definition

damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

: one that damps : as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a device (as one of the felt-covered pieces of wood in a piano) used to deaden vibrations or oscillations

c

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration