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

After the film debuted at the Telluride Film Festival last month, the buzz became deafening. — Jade Tran, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026

The pre-release buzz around this new movie, which was made in secret and revealed via a surprise trailer that dropped last month, has been near deafening. — David MacK, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

The wind is roaring at 110 miles per hour (177 kph); the sound is deafening. — Arindam Chowdhury, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

With the Chiefs facing third-and-5 in their own territory, down 19-17 amid deafening noise, Patrick Mahomes launched a ball deep down the field to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. — Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 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