damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

1

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration

2

: a device that damps: such as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a small felted block to stop the vibration of a piano string

c

chiefly British : shock absorber

3

Australia : a simple usually unleavened bread of a kind made originally in the Australian bush

Synonyms

• mute

Examples of damper in a Sentence

the pianist used the damper pedal on the piano for the quiet passages

Recent Examples on the Web

To help deal with the extra ‘spirit’, Rolls-Royce has tweaked the dampers, increased the steering weight, and adjusted the roll stabilization. —Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

The suspension has been just as radically revised, with a wider track, a higher ride height, and the adoption of the interlinked dampers used on the Range Rover Sport SV. —Charlie Roxburghe, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2025

For one, the Los Angeles fires put a slight damper on the energy. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2025

The key benefit of fitting each corner with a damper is completely independent control between compression and rebound, Sayer explains. —Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing damper

• put a damper on

Rhymes for damper

• camper
• hamper
• pamper
• scamper
• stamper
• tamper

Kids Definition

damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

: one that damps : as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a device (as one of the felt-covered pieces of wood in a piano) used to deaden vibrations or oscillations

c

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration