deaf·en·ing
ˈde-fə-niŋ 
ˈdef-niŋ
2
: very loud : earsplitting
fell with a deafening clap
3
sometimes offensive
: very noticeable
Their silence on the issue was deafening.
deafeningly
adverb
deafening
2 of 2present participle of deafen
Examples of deafening in a Sentence
Adjective
the deafening roar of the planes
a boom box blasting deafening music
Recent Examples on the Web
Annie Palmer, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Young’s ending is greeted with a deafening round of applause.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
The ensuing outcry from the public, including from alt-media figures such as Joe Rogan, was deafening, and Kimmel quickly returned to the air.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
The most deafening silence in all of this is on the part of the New York Times itself.
—Max Weiss, Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deafening
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Adjective
From a bungled email prematurely announcing another massive round of layoffs to scrutiny around the company’s $75 million investment in a documentary about the first lady, Amazon heads into its quarterly earnings report next week surrounded by a deafening level of outside noise.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Young’s ending is greeted with a deafening round of applause.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
The ensuing outcry from the public, including from alt-media figures such as Joe Rogan, was deafening, and Kimmel quickly returned to the air.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
The most deafening silence in all of this is on the part of the New York Times itself.
—Max Weiss, Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deafening
Cite this Entry
“Deafening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deafening. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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