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
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
The disappointing results could dampen the willingness to establish new ECPR programs, the way the first multicenter ECMO trial in adults nearly a half-century ago delayed the treatment’s spread.
—Helen Ouyang, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
That can dampen down the energy on set, both in front of the camera and behind it, too.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024
That part of the plan has not changed even as EV sales growth has dampened in the US market.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
Her departure didn’t appear to dampen the energies of the newer trad wives.
—Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
But the footage did little if anything to dampen speculation and conspiracy theories over her medical procedure and recovery, including after Kensington Palace released an altered image of Middleton with her family on the U.K.’s Mother’s Day.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024
The property crisis still threatens to dampen consumption and drag down key sectors of the economy.
—Fang Ruan, Fortune Asia, 20 Mar. 2024
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
The disappointing results could dampen the willingness to establish new ECPR programs, the way the first multicenter ECMO trial in adults nearly a half-century ago delayed the treatment’s spread.
—Helen Ouyang, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
That can dampen down the energy on set, both in front of the camera and behind it, too.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024
That part of the plan has not changed even as EV sales growth has dampened in the US market.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
Her departure didn’t appear to dampen the energies of the newer trad wives.
—Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
But the footage did little if anything to dampen speculation and conspiracy theories over her medical procedure and recovery, including after Kensington Palace released an altered image of Middleton with her family on the U.K.’s Mother’s Day.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024
The property crisis still threatens to dampen consumption and drag down key sectors of the economy.
—Fang Ruan, Fortune Asia, 20 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 17 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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