dampen
dampen Lexical Profile
dampen Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To make a feeling, reaction, or activity less strong or intense.
"Even the sudden rainstorm could not dampen the crowd's enthusiasm for the outdoor concert."
To make or become slightly wet or moist.
"She used a spray bottle to dampen the linen shirt before ironing out the creases."
To reduce the amplitude of sound waves, vibrations, or oscillations.
"Heavy velvet curtains were hung along the walls to dampen the echo in the recording studio."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'dampen' is standard for making something slightly wet or reducing emotional enthusiasm, physicists and engineers generally prefer the shorter verb 'damp' when referring to reducing the amplitude of mechanical vibrations or sound waves.
• Rhymes for dampen
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 17th century from the adjective 'damp' (of Middle Low German origin, originally meaning 'vapor' or 'steam') combined with the verb-forming suffix '-en'.