deflatev.
/dɪˈfleɪt/ 1.
a. transitive. To release the air from (anything inflated).
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > reduction in size or extent > reduce in size or extent [verb (transitive)] > deflate
deflate1891
to let down1968
1891 Strand Mag. 2 498/1 Spencer proceeds to deflate the balloon.
1892 Cyclists' Touring Club Gaz. Aug. 229 In case of repairs the tyre is deflated.
b. intransitive for passive. Of an inflated object: to become emptied of the inflating gas; to ‘go down’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > reduction in size or extent > become reduced in size or extent [verb (intransitive)] > deflate
to go down1582
subside1634
deflate1902
1902 Daily Chron. 2 Sept. 4/5 Mr. Spencer turning aside from the deflating balloon.
1925 Glasgow Herald 18 Apr. 9 When the bag deflated it formed a new bulkhead.
1971 Country Life 14 Jan. 59/3 The turkey cock deflated and rushed away, squawking for dear life.
2.
a. intransitive. To ‘climb down’; to lose spirit, confidence, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > be humble [verb (intransitive)] > become humble
to come downa1382
meeka1400
meekena1500
let fall one's crest1531
to come (also get) off one's perch1568
to come down a peg1589
lower1837
to come off the roof1883
to climb down1887
deflate1912
to come, etc., off one's high horse1920
1912 D. H. Lawrence Let. 5 Apr. (1962) I. 107 I'll write to Harrison. He seems inclined to deflate. On Tuesday he wrote me a cocky letter, yesterday, a sweet and friendly one.
1933 T. E. Lawrence Lett. (1938) 772 ‘Mr. Garnett’ said the village postman importantly ‘is gone to Spain.’ ‘Mr. Garnett is unfortunate’ I replied..and the postman deflated.
1960 L. Wright Clean & Decent 264 We may or may not deflate when a statistician tells us that of our neighbours on a London bus today, one in five never takes a bath.
b. transitive. To reduce the size or importance of (a thing). Of a person's reputation, character, etc.: to depreciate, to ‘debunk’.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > damage to reputation > detract from [verb (transitive)] > expose false claims or pretensions
to show up1893
deflate1920
debunk1923
1920 Glasgow Herald 17 Mar. 11 I rather wish not to inflate the currency of optimism, but I want to deflate the note of pessimism which is sometimes present.
1933 H. G. Wells Bulpington of Blup iii. 113 Comfort, bathrooms, punctuality, duty, were all jumbled and deflated together under the blight of that word [bourgeois].
1934 H. G. Wells Exper. in Autobiogr. I. v. 247 Strong as is my disposition to deflate the reputation of Marx I have to admit [etc.].
1934 H. G. Wells Exper. in Autobiogr. II. ix. 763 The belief in the possible world leadership of England had been deflated.
1940 J. Buchan Memory Hold-the-Door viii. 185 They were sansculottes who sought to deflate majestic reputations.
1940 Manch. Guardian Weekly 5 Jan. 2 The war's lack of intensity has deflated what military fervour there ever was.
1958 Ess. & Stud. XI. iv. 53 Lytton Strachey uses the tone of Gibbon in order to deflate the Victorians.
3.
a. transitive. To reduce the inflation of (a currency). Also absol., to pursue a policy of deflation.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > value of money > [verb (transitive)] > raise value
enhance?1542
deflate1919
upvalue1968
society > trade and finance > management of money > management of national resources > [verb (intransitive)] > practise or advocate specific policies
co-operate1830
tariff1909
deflate1919
revalue1925
inflate1940
jawbone1966
reflate1971
1919 R. G. Hawtrey Currency & Credit 352 Every country will seek to keep pace with its neighbours. If one does not deflate its currency as quickly as the others the exchanges will turn against it.
1923 R. McKenna in Daily Mail 27 Jan. 3 If at this stage we made no further effort to deflate, trade would soon recover.
1926 Westm. Gaz. 30 July To ‘deflate’ the franc from 240 or 200..to a level of only 25 to the £ is beyond the realms of practicability.
1963 Ann. Reg. 1962 15 Treasury belief that Britain could afford to deflate its way out of its balance of payments difficulties.
b. intransitive for passive. To be reduced by deflation.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > value of money > [verb (intransitive)] > be reduced in value
deflate1922
1922 Glasgow Herald 7 Aug. 8 All of these costs..would require to deflate to pre-war standard to enable the sixpenny loaf to reappear.
Derivatives
deˈflated adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > humiliation > [adjective]
dejectc1528
broken1535
abased1554
come1564
downfallen1575
snubbed1583
crestfallen1589
humiliate1593
plume-plucked1597
low-broughta1599
chop-fallen1604
chap-fallen1608
dejected1608
humbleda1616
unprided1628
diminished1667
mortified1710
small1771
humiliated1782
squelched1837
grovelleda1845
sat-upon1873
comedown1886
deflated1894
zapped1962
the world > space > extension in space > reduction in size or extent > [adjective] > deflated
broken-winded1809
deflated1894
popped1925
society > trade and finance > money > value of money > [adjective] > effecting or affected by rise in value
deflated1894
deflationary1920
disinflationary1947
the world > matter > gas > air > [adjective] > under pressure > inflated or filled with compressed air > deflating or letting out air > deflated
deflated1894
1894 Sat. Rev. 8 Dec. 618/1 There are narrow edges to the rims on which a deflated tyre would rest.
1908 H. G. Wells War in Air iv. 133 He left him in an extremely deflated condition, with all his little story told.
1931 H. G. Wells Work, Wealth & Happiness Mankind (1932) xii. 616 Operations with the deflated armament firms, metallurgical industries and petroleum.
deˈflating adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > humiliation > [adjective] > humiliating
dismounting1562
abasing1615
humiliating1757
humiliative1821
snubbish1840
humiliant1844
snubby1867
humiliatory1872
snubbing1887
lowering1899
deflating1933
1933 Mind 42 266 The effect is to put Taine in his place (in the ‘deflating’ sense of these words).
1960 N. Coward Pomp & Circumstance iv. 28 There's nothing more deflating than telling someone some exciting news and discovering that they already know it.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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