dampen
/ˈdamp(ə)n
/verb [with object]
1Make slightly wet: the fine rain dampened her face...
- Anyway, leaving aside the benefit of a cat you can talk at, it wasn't long before the first misty wave of light rain swept across, dampening the pavement and making the grass think it was holiday time at last.
- Little rivulets of wetness ran down my flesh onto the dirty blanket dampening it.
- I turned on the water faucet in the tub slightly and dampened the washcloth.
Synonyms
moisten, damp, wet, dew, water, irrigate, humidify
literary bedew
rare sparge, humify, humect
2Make less strong or intense: nothing could dampen her enthusiasm...
- The strong demand was not dampened by the fact that the Walshestown Abbey development is the most expensive residential development yet in the town.
- In an effort to dampen down suggestions that Straw had been utterly humiliated, his closest allies insisted yesterday that he had been making it known for some time that he was ready for a switch from the Foreign Office.
- It is possible they could dampen down the rocketing prices of real estate.
Synonyms
lessen, decrease, diminish, reduce, lower, moderate, damp, damp down, put a damper on, throw cold water on, calm, cool, chill, dull, blunt, tone down, deaden, temper, discourage;
suppress, extinguish, quench, stamp out, smother, stifle, muffle, blanket, mute, silence, quieten, overcome, curb, limit, check, still, restrain, inhibit, deter
2.1Reduce the amplitude of (a sound source): slider switches on the mixers can dampen the drums...
- Because it does not ‘sit’ on top of the bed, rust will not develop beneath it like traditional drop-in bedliners, it also avoids road noise and vibration and dampens sounds unlike drop-in units.
- She led him straight to her room where behind the thick door the sound was dampened to the vibrations under his feet.
- Sound is well dampened and only the occasional flute, violin or oboe can be heard when a door is opened.
