damp

verb

damped; damping; damps

transitive verb

1

a

: to affect with or as if with a noxious gas : choke

b

: to diminish the activity or intensity of

damping down the causes of inflation

liquid damps out compass oscillations

c

: to check the vibration or oscillation of (something, such as a string or a voltage)

2

: dampen

intransitive verb

: to diminish progressively in vibration or oscillation

Synonyms of damp

• drain
• undermine
• exhaust
• weaken
• dampen
• wear
• desiccate
• deaden
• petrify
• dehydrate
• devitalize

Examples of damp in a Sentence

His hands were damped with sweat.

refused to let the setbacks damp his drive for success

Recent Examples on the Web

Add a small pile of firewood to keep the soil cool and damp and provide a spot for firefly egg-laying. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 May 2026

Despite their importance, however, documents were found piled on the ground, damp and partially burned. —Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026

Unlike a conventional air suspension setup designed mainly for comfort, DiSus-P actively controls the height and damping of each wheel independently. —Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

This is especially true if the spice is added to damp or shaded spots, where mushrooms like to grow. —Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 23 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing damp

• black damp
• damp squib

Rhymes for damp

• amp
• champ
• clamp
• cramp
• gamp
• lamp
• ramp
• samp
• scamp
• stamp
• tamp
• tramp

Kids Definition

damp

1 of 3 noun

ˈdamp 

1

: a harmful gas especially in a coal mine

2

: moisture, humidity

3

: discouragement sense 2

damp

2 of 3 verb

: dampen

damp

3 of 3 adjective

: slightly wet

dampness noun

Medical Definition

damp

noun

ˈdamp 

: a noxious or stifling gas or vapor

especially : one occurring in coal mines

—usually used in plural see black damp, firedamp