deafening
deafening Lexical Profile
deafening Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
So loud as to make it impossible to hear anything else, or to temporarily impair one's hearing.
"The crowd erupted into deafening applause as the orchestra finished its final movement."
Strikingly noticeable, conspicuous, or overwhelming in effect (especially of silence or a lack of response).
"Following the controversial proposal, there was a deafening silence in the boardroom."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the common oxymoronic phrase 'deafening silence,' the word is used figuratively to describe an absence of sound or response that is so conspicuous and tense that it demands complete attention.
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed as the present participial adjective of 'deafen,' which combines the Old English root 'deaf' (from Proto-Germanic *daubaz, meaning 'dull of perception') with the verbal suffix '-en.'
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.