deafen

verb

deaf·​en ˈde-fən 

deafened; deafening ˈde-fə-niŋ 

ˈdef-niŋ

; deafens

transitive verb

: to make permanently or temporarily deaf

was deafened by the explosion

Examples of deafen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Disruptions to those communications, from a deafening crowd, technical glitch or presidential security measure, can present problems for coaches and teams. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

At Kinnick Stadium, deafening boos greeted the Cyclones on their sideline in warmups, before kickoff and after halftime. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

By now the crowd was deafening and fans surged forward for a better view. — Devinder Bains, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026

Loud but not deafening, swank but not stuffy, Vandell is a warmly stylish haunt, a place to land at any point in an evening. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

deafen

verb

deaf·​en ˈdef-ən 

deafened; deafening -(ə-)niŋ 

: to make deaf

deafeningly

-(ə-)niŋ-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

deafen

verb

deaf·​en ˈdef-ən 

deafened; deafening -(ə-)niŋ 

transitive verb

: to make permanently or temporarily deaf