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
Examples of damper in a Sentence
the pianist used the damper pedal on the piano for the quiet passages
Recent Examples on the Web
Getty Images The one-two punch of strong earnings and tame inflation helped propel the S&P 500 to a positive week — despite the latest tariff news on Friday putting a slight damper on the action.
—
Zev Fima, CNBC, 19 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for damper
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zev Fima, CNBC, 19 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for damper
Cite this Entry
“Damper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damper. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share