dampening

verb

present participle of dampen
1
as in damping
to make or become slightly or moderately wet dampen a paper towel with water and use it to clean up the mess

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the oppressive heat dampened our spirits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality nothing could dampen their enthusiasm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dampening Its LaserSlim build integrates real-time AI Motion Enhancer Pro sports-tracking filters, Object Tracking Sound Lite, and custom room acoustic sound-dampening blocks. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026 Easy to slip on and off, these sandals are perfect to keep by your front door to throw on at a moment’s notice without dampening your outfit. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026 The attacks are dampening the mood of average Russians more visibly than at any time since the war in Ukraine began 4 1/2 years ago. — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026 Late word comes out that SoCal’s Meghan Dizon is sick, forcing their sub Naomi Nguyen into action and really dampening their chances of another big weekend. — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 The survey snapped three consecutive months of dampening consumer sentiment, recovering from an all-time low in May, data showed. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 12 June 2026 An inner cover allows moisture to condense without dampening the hive, and an outer cover protects the colony from inclement weather. — Literary Hub, 27 May 2026 Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates continued to climb higher last week, dampening demand for loans from both current homeowners and potential homebuyers. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 20 May 2026 In the wake of the immigration raids last summer, many of their potential patrons refrained from hosting celebrations, dampening their business. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampening
  1. damping
  2. reducing
  3. undermining
  4. wetting
  5. blunting
  6. weakening
  7. moistening
  8. dulling
Verb
  • Sport mode sits closer to the 21C’s natural operating balance, engaging both the combustion engine and electric systems for full output while firming up the damping and sharpening responses.
    — Bradley Iger, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026
  • Excess moisture can cause diseases like damping off, a fungus that harms young seedlings.
    — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2026
Definition of damping
Verb
  • The legislation reflects the complexity of the crisis, combining a total of 47 proposals aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing costs and expanding access to affordable homes.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • The goal is to improve inspection quality while reducing the risks associated with labor-intensive maintenance work.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • Opposition parties and human rights organizations have accused Erdogan of undermining democracy and curbing freedom of expression.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Allies include Brin’s Building a Better California, which is bankrolling two counter-measures aimed at undermining the billionaire tax.
    — Ben Paviour July 2, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • Water in the morning deeply at the base of the plant using a soaker hose, avoiding wetting the leaves to prevent fungal diseases.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 July 2026
  • While most detanglers are strictly for post-wash on damp hair, this milky mist can also be used to prime hair before wetting it, doubles as a heat protectant, and can even be used to restyle your hair on days two, three, or four.
    — Eden Stuart, Glamour, 7 July 2026
Definition of wetting
Verb
  • Greg Jaffe and Kate Kelly Politicians and officials in Mexico are using the country’s laws to intimidate critics and the media, forcing them into censorship and blunting scrutiny.
    — Kate Kelly Vincent Alban Paulina Villegas Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • The body adapts to the daily dose, blunting caffeine’s impact on blood pressure, mental alertness and exercise performance.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026
Definition of blunting
Verb
  • The German lender notes a growing divergence between the nation's weakening fiscal position and its thriving corporate balance sheets.
    — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 9 July 2026
  • The effect results in the typical east-to-west trade winds weakening or even sometimes reversing, allowing warmer water from the western Pacific to move eastward.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • For this, Langelo recommends moistening the soil to make the weeds easier to pull.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Each watering session should deliver about 1/2 inch of water, moistening the soil to a depth of about 6 inches to support healthy root development.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
Definition of moistening
Verb
  • Your diplomatic touch can set kind boundaries without dulling your warmth.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
  • Blurring bamboo silk powders keep shine in check without dulling skin, while camellia seed oil and antioxidant-rich vitamin E help mature complexions look smooth, hydrated, and naturally luminous.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 23 June 2026
Definition of dulling

Browse Nearby Words

dampened
dampening
dampens
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dampening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampening. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dampening

Nglish: Translation of dampening for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All