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
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 deadened
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
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
Adjective
-
But his instincts fail him continually in a dull, emotionally anesthetized story that surges to life only in the presence of Otone’s combative mother-in-law (Kimiko Yo), who seems rightly skeptical of Kakeru 2.0.
-
Future research could help clinicians guide the anesthetized brain toward a sleep-like state, rather than a coma-like one.
Verb
-
Over his 18-year tenure at the Fed, Greenspan embodied the omnipotent technocrat — a legacy critics say was fatally undermined by his failure to spot the 2008 housing bubble.
-
Only one in five workers was fully engaged; one in seven actively undermined the firm.
Verb
-
Among them, a large waterfront hotel in the city of Macuto, which has been reduced to rubble.
-
That matters because decades of research link heavy social media use to anxiety, lower self-esteem and reduced well-being.
Adjective
-
Becka is drugged and married off to Garth (Brad Alexander), the man Agnes is in love with.
-
After the first injection, Plaintiff appeared drugged on camera.
Verb
-
At the same time, his ability in recent months to command functioning majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives has weakened considerably.
-
The study finds that auto-renewal generated higher revenue in the medium term, but the advantage weakened as the subscriber count and engagement picture deteriorated.
Verb
-
Bitch, despite being created with Reed in tandem with My Face Hurts From Smiling, leans more pop and R&B with lyrics that may have been dulled down for palatability.
-
The sparkle of the moment is somewhat dulled, though, when Mark turns to Margo and claims to have never called CPS on her.
Adjective
-
The boy is stupefied, snot intermingling with the puke dripping from his mouth to his navel.
Verb
-
And Louis, perhaps exhausted from his spree of bouts, but also perhaps looking past Schmeling, hadn’t trained much.
-
Once the trust fund is exhausted, the system will continue to receive payroll and self-employment taxes each year.
Cite this Entry
“Deadened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadened. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
