deadened 1 of 2

adjective

as in anesthetized

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deadened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of deaden
1
as in undermined
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality an excess of detail deadens much of the mystery novel's suspense

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling a couple of aspirins deadened the headache

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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 deadened
Verb
Exposing the dental pulp and cleaning out the cavity’s contents also would have deadened the nerves and blood vessels there, leading to pain relief, Zubova said. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 May 2026 Merrill had the same impulse—the need to become a self not necessarily free of all that money could buy but not crippled or deadened by it, either. — Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadened
  1. anesthetized
  2. undermined
  3. reduced
  4. drugged
  5. weakened
  6. dulled
  7. stupefied
  8. exhausted
Adjective
  • Direct evidence on the mole-rat brain response to isopropyl myristate came from functional ultrasound imaging, a technique that tracks blood flow non-invasively in an anesthetized animal.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
  • Future research could help clinicians guide the anesthetized brain toward a sleep-like state, rather than a coma-like one.
    — Lucy Nemchek, Hartford Courant, 15 May 2026
Definition of anesthetized
Verb
  • Several roads near Westward Beach in Malibu are closed after additional erosion undermined the roadway and exposed a Los Angeles County water main.
    — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, technological advances made possible by the digital age have undermined the social contract of the industrial era and hollowed out the middle class.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermined
Verb
  • Taps won't go dry, experts say, in part because Arizona has already reduced its water use over the years.
    — Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But for Deakins, the work is too dependent on the circumstances of a story, and the people telling it, to be reduced to any one method.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduced
Adjective
  • Like Dominique Pelicot, the French man who used the online chat platform Coco to recruit men to rape his drugged and unconscious wife, the @SteveCumfulls of the world thrive on the internet’s reach and de-facto anonymity.
    — Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • His record includes work concerning drunk and drugged driving, criminal sentencing, public safety, the rights of victims and the administration of the courts.
    — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of drugged
Verb
  • Economist Thomas Philippon calculates that weakened competition costs the typical household about $300 a month.
    — Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Houthis are the crown jewel in this network, given how much Hezbollah has been weakened.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakened
Verb
  • The primary effects generally wear off in less than an hour, but a person’s senses may remain dulled and their judgment and coordination impaired for several hours afterward.
    — Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Bikes like these would make a lot of sense from a sales perspective, considering the appeal of these models has never dulled in the motorcycle community.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of dulled
Adjective
  • Certain men have reportedly watched CCTV footage of their stupefied selves inexplicably helping their robbers gut their apartments of possessions.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The man hugged a bag, the woman shouted and flailed her arms, and the young teenage boy pulled at his sister, who seemed stupefied.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
Definition of stupefied
Verb
  • Trump is waging a campaign in the final moments of the midterm election to quell discontent among farmers, truckers and drivers exhausted by $4 gas and near-record diesel.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In an interview with the Financial Times, published today, Zelenskyy indicated his own patience had been exhausted.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausted

Browse Nearby Words

dead ends
deadened
deadening
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Cite this Entry

“Deadened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadened. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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