DAMPEN Synonyms: 150 Similar and Opposite Words

dampen

verb

ˈdam-pən

Definition of dampen

as in to moisten

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to reduce

to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the oppressive heat dampened our spirits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to undermine

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 dampen Buy The stainless-steel drain of the Composer One garbage disposal seals to dampen sound while grinding food. — Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026 There was always something to take care of given the age of the buildings and the dampening mist sent up by the waterfall. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 13 Aug. 2026 Lightly dampen the mitt with water and wring it out to help the tanner glide on smoothly. — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 13 Aug. 2026 Officials noted that the rainstorm could help dampen the spread of the fire but also brings strong winds that could further elevate fire risk. — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dampen

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampen

Verb

The next several days will see a cooling and moistening trend in both the Bay Area and Central Coast; temperatures are expected to be well below seasonal averages.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Drizzle in 1/4 cup melted butter; stir until evenly moistened and crumbly.

— Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of moisten

Verb

The South in particular faces higher rates of obesity and other health challenges that have further reduced the pool of eligible recruits and contributed to higher injury rates during basic training, according to service data.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
The historic supply shock has also been softened by other factors, including alternative export routes out of the Gulf, China reducing its oil imports, the United States increasing production and drawdowns from global oil stockpiles.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

Turning this whole thing into a joke also undermines the danger of the Trawler — just how seriously are we supposed to take this threat?

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Dynastic rivalries, regional rebellions, economic disruption, and the demographic effects of the Black Death all undermined imperial authority.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of undermine

Verb

For the best results, Bataille recommends applying it to damp hair, concentrating at the roots, then blow-drying the hair up and away from the scalp to maximize volume.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
The swingarm geometry has been revised, and there is a new linkage system that has improved damping.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of damp

Verb

The term refers to when tobacco companies in the 1990s were forced to pay billions of dollars for misleading the public about the safety and potential harms of their products, and subsequently saw their power and influence dramatically diminished.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
The filter significantly diminishes elements commonly found in water that can be damaging, like chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals, and more.

— Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminish

Verb

That makes the world a more dangerous place, where a mistake by just one actor could ignite a regional firestorm, with a US military weakened by Iran unable to ensure American security.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm Sunday after skirting Hawaii without making landfall, but it wasn’t done punishing the Big Island with hurricane-force gusts.

— Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

Arrange some small, flat stones around the puddle to give the butterflies a place to land, and then add enough water to moisten or wet the sand.

— Joan Morris, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Pyne argues that Mediterranean Europe, much like California, is naturally predisposed to burn because of an annual cycle of wetting and drying.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of wet

Verb

Too much intention, too much Trying to Say, too much overarching metaphor, can deaden your work.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of deaden

Browse Nearby Words

damped

dampen

dampened

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Dampen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampen. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of dampen

verb

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