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

The buzz surrounding him has reached a deafening height, but his stellar versatility, YAC skills and building camp chemistry with Brock Purdy have turned heads. — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

The deafening volume at SoFi was the only aspect of the show that got in the way. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Most of the angst about this collapse is coming from the media, and in this market, that isn’t exactly a deafening drumbeat. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 July 2026

Just before the surprise could begin, however, a deafening crack of thunder echoed across the property. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 25 July 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