dampened 1 of 2

adjective

as in deadened

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

dampened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of dampen
1
as in damped
to make or become slightly or moderately wet dampen a paper towel with water and use it to clean up the mess

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the oppressive heat dampened our spirits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in undermined
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality nothing could dampen their enthusiasm

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 dampened
Adjective
Prices reached record highs over the past two years, triggered by adverse weather conditions and poor cocoa harvests that pushed chocolate costs higher and dampened consumer sentiment. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 July 2026 To Meredith O’Sullivan, of Old Irving Park, the forecast reflected the dampened celebrations. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 Make sure the filter is not too wet, just slightly dampened. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 12 June 2026 Place the dampened loaf directly on the oven rack for 8 to 10 minutes, adjusting for size and density of your bread. — Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 3 June 2026 Use a dampened microfiber cloth to wipe down the shower tiles. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 18 May 2026 However, Friday’s labor data, at least, dampened fears the squeeze is spiraling into a full recession. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 10 May 2026 The Kremlin’s economic woes are multiplying with its years-long war, which has added to government debt and dampened business investment. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026 The company’s hiring spree comes amid a dampened US labor market, as more companies pursue layoffs and pause hiring, often citing AI as the reason. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
Wipe off any soap residue with a microfiber cloth, dampened with only water. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 29 July 2026 On Wednesday in the NWSL, the attendance-record-setting game between the Spirit and Gotham FC felt dampened by the air quality, which forced hydration breaks every 15 minutes. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026 That has dampened conjecture that Thomas, the oldest justice at 78, might retire before then. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 11 July 2026 The tragedy dampened what had been nationwide jubilation over the unexpected triumphs of El Tri, as Mexico’s national team is known. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 While the decline in numbers has raised parent companies’ valuations, the slowdown has dampened the fundraising and exit environment for venture capital funds, said Lee Hyo-seob, senior research fellow at the think tank Korea Capital Market Institute in Seoul. — Lisa Kim, CNBC, 24 June 2026 Monday night’s World Cup showdown between Norway and Senegal at MetLife Stadium could be dampened and possibly delayed by heavy rain and thunderstorms. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 June 2026 Fisher’s enthusiasm never seemed to be dampened. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026 Go back over the tile with a non-abrasive scrub sponge dampened with warm water to rinse any residue. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampened
  1. damped
  2. reduced
  3. undermined
  4. moistened
  5. dulled
  6. drained
  7. wet
  8. blunted
Verb
  • Start with a clean cloth damped with plain water.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2025
  • Use a cotton ball damped with rubbing alcohol and rub over the area.
    — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of damped
Verb
  • Graphics will reportedly be reduced, all of which could affect the quality of broadcasts.
    — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • After a two-month trial, Bowman instructed jurors to deliberate on second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter charges — reduced from first-degree murder charges by prosecutors last week.
    — Reeti Malhotra July 21, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • Their ability to help should not be undermined by corporations determined to bleed them dry.
    — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Chelsea’s lack of centre-back continuity undermined them throughout last season, but Lacroix is already comfortable playing in a back three after working under Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace.
    — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of undermined
Verb
  • After watering, dig a small hole to check if the top 6 inches or so of soil are moistened.
    — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • Once chilled, the cake becomes perfectly moistened, giving the entire dish the texture of a custard.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
Definition of moistened
Verb
  • On a Friday morning drive to Jackson Park and the start of WNBA All-Star Game festivities, an overcast sky dulled the spectacular horizon line of Lake Michigan.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Ampere’s research appeared to suggest that the influx of romance book adaptations and romance drama in general has dulled the appetite for reality shows about love.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 June 2026
Definition of dulled
Verb
  • Still, these legal battles and the year of strikes drained the UMWA financially.
    — Elijah TanAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • The soil is just as dense, heavy, and poorly drained as ever.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
Definition of drained
Verb
  • Reduce irrigation to only once or twice a week to wet the soil to help control this problem.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2026
  • Then add a second layer of sand, sweep it into place, and wet it down.
    — Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2026
Definition of wet
Verb
  • Weary of seeing people pick their teeth with daggers, Cardinal Richelieu has knives blunted in royal France.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Decades of declining violent crime have further blunted the public appetite for executions.
    — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Definition of blunted

Browse Nearby Words

dampen
dampened
dampening
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dampened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampened. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dampened

Nglish: Translation of dampened for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All