deaden

verb

dead·​en ˈde-dᵊn 

deadened; deadening ˈded-niŋ 

ˈde-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to impair in vigor or sensation : blunt

deadened his enthusiasm

deadened the pain

2

a

: to deprive of brilliance

b

: to make vapid or spiritless

oxygen deadens wine

c

: to make (something, such as a wall) impervious to sound

3

: to deprive of life : kill

intransitive verb

: to become dead : lose life or vigor

deadener

ˈded-nər 

-dᵊn-ər

noun

deadeningly

ˈded-niŋ-lē 

-dᵊn-iŋ-

adverb

Synonyms

• castrate
• damp
• dampen
• dehydrate
• desiccate
• devitalize
• enervate
• geld
• lobotomize
• petrify

Examples of deaden in a Sentence

He took aspirin to deaden the pain.

The new insulation will help to deaden the noise from the street outside.

Recent Examples on the Web

One way of deadening the mind to distractions is by blowing opponents off the court. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Simplicity, understood like this, is complexity well tended, just as a long, graceful line is a collection of stubby ones, tamed but not deadened. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

And the shine from his latest gold medal hasn’t come close to deadening. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024

Things like that might deaden your palate before your tasting. —Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

deaden

verb

dead·​en ˈded-ᵊn 

deadened; deadening ˈded-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling : dull

deaden pain with drugs