Synonyms of deaden

deaden

verb

ˈde-dᵊn 

1

as in to undermine

to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality

an excess of detail deadens much of the mystery novel's suspense

Synonyms & Similar Words

• undermine
• weaken
• exhaust
• dampen
• drain
• enervate
• petrify
• damp
• wear
• devitalize
• castrate
• discourage
• desiccate
• dehydrate
• debilitate
• lobotomize
• enfeeble
• fatigue
• sap
• geld
• burn out
• wear out
• daunt
• dishearten
• demoralize
• tucker (out)
• dispirit
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stimulate
• enliven
• invigorate
• energize
• quicken
• arouse
• rouse
• vitalize
• stir
• vivify
• brace
• excite
• provoke
• galvanize
• electrify
• charge
• inflame
• incite
• trigger
• inspire
• spark
• lift
• foment
• fire
• ferment
• instigate
• kindle
• fortify
• whip (up)
• boost
• cheer
• embolden
• revive
• renew
• abet
• revitalize
• hearten
• refresh
• reawaken
• rejuvenate
• enflame
• resurrect
• rekindle
• buoy
• regenerate
• reactivate
• resuscitate
• reenergize
• reanimate
• recharge
• reawake

2

as in to reduce

to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling

a couple of aspirins deadened the headache

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reduce
• dull
• dampen
• weaken
• diminish
• numb
• subside
• blunt
• subdue
• benumb
• damp
• cauterize
• decrease
• muffle
• ease
• alleviate
• lessen
• mute
• tone (down)
• debilitate
• lighten
• recede
• enfeeble
• let up (on)
• wane
• dwindle
• lower
• moderate
• abate
• taper (off)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enhance
• sharpen
• strengthen
• augment
• intensify
• stimulate
• deepen
• heighten
• amplify
• consolidate
• boost
• arouse
• magnify
• whet
• step up
• redouble
• beef (up)
• animate

Examples of deaden in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The weight of responsibility is no longer about maintaining your soul while deadened by the granite-countertop heft of 2005’s suburban expectations. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 2 Feb. 2024

The physicians had injected the woman’s arm with the anesthetic lidocaine—a dose strong enough to deaden her limb for surgery. —Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2018

No one else had beached their boat and swam toward me as alpine runoff deadened their limbs. —Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 2 Apr. 2024

SpaceX engineers modified multiple systems in the wake of the failures, including work to beef up the rocket's self-destruct system, to improve engine performance and to protect the pad with a high-power water deluge system that also deadens the acoustic shock of engine ignition. —William Harwood, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024