deafening

adjective

deaf·​en·​ing ˈde-fə-niŋ How to pronounce deafening (audio)
ˈdef-niŋ
1
: that deafens
2
: very loud : earsplitting
fell with a deafening clap
3
: very noticeable
their silence on the issue was deafening
deafeningly adverb

Examples of deafening in a Sentence

the deafening roar of the planes a boom box blasting deafening music
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Rothrock, a Seattle native, made it 3-0 five minutes later, drawing a deafening ovation from the home crowd. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025 Texas Chainsaw Massacre Visitors will come face-to-face with Leatherface and the deranged Sawyer family amid the deafening roar of chainsaws in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre haunted house. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025 Yet given the league and many of its most prominent players' presence in social justice efforts, their silence around the violence being fueled by Rwanda and the UAE is all the more deafening. Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025 That visual message was audibly reinforced at a deafening level as the crowd cheered their neighbors who spoke against the proposal and booed a NIPSCO official and other business leaders who spoke in favor of it. Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for deafening

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of deafening was in 1607

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deafening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deafening. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on deafening

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!