deflate

verb

de·​flate di-ˈflāt  ˌdē- 

deflated; deflating

transitive verb

1

: to release air or gas from

deflate a tire

2

: to reduce in size, importance, or effectiveness

deflate his ego with cutting remarks

3

: to reduce (a price level) or cause (a volume of credit) to contract

intransitive verb

: to lose firmness through or as if through the escape of contained gas

deflator noun

or less commonly deflater

di-ˈflā-tər 

ˌdē-

Choose the Right Synonym for deflate

contract, shrink, condense, compress, constrict, deflate mean to decrease in bulk or volume.

contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length.

caused her muscles to contract

shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions.

the sweater will shrink when washed

condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content.

condense the essay into a paragraph

compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance.

compressed cotton into bales

constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter.

the throat is constricted by a tight collar

deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas.

deflate the balloon

Examples of deflate in a Sentence

The birthday balloons deflated after a few days.

The harsh criticism left him utterly deflated.

an insult that would deflate their egos

He has worked to deflate popular myths about investing.

Deflated prices mean that farmers are getting less for their products.

Recent Examples on the Web

Financial advisor provides tips on how to save 05:28 A Federal Reserve official on Thursday raised the possibility the central bank may not cut interest rates at all in 2024, deflating Wall Street's expectations that several reductions could be in store later this year. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

Additionally, there are also a variety of materials such as cotton, suede, velour, fleece and nylon, and there are also travel pillows that can be inflated, deflated and easily packed. —Jacqueline Laurean Yates, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024

That led her to award a penalty that Canada’s Adriana Leon converted for her tournament-best sixth goal, deflating a U.S. team that had the game won twice. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

Aggressive interest rate hikes further strained household finances, and financial market turbulence deflated 401(k) balances, igniting a wave of retirement worries. —Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024

To him, every toy truck should come with a tire that slowly deflates to illustrate the concept of running out of time. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2024

What gets you into high gear, ready to charge ahead, and what deflates you? —Anne Lackey, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

Jeremy Grantham, who predicted the dot-com crash in 2000 and the financial crisis in 2008, recently warned that AI is a bubble that could start to deflate. —Matt Egan, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024

Davis couldn’t see, so the Lakers couldn’t win, and now their spring might not survive after a deflating 128-121 loss at a mournful Crypto.com Arena. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

de- + -flate (as in inflate)

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

deflate

verb

de·​flate di-ˈflāt  ˈdē- 

deflated; deflating

1

: to release air or gas from

2

: to cause to move from a higher to a lower level : reduce from a state of inflation

deflate the national economy

3

: to become deflated : collapse

deflator

-ˈflāt-ər

noun