Deaden (Verb)
Meaning 1
Make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible; "muffle the message".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- Excessive use of jargon can deaden the impact of an otherwise powerful speech.
- The fog began to deaden the outlines of the buildings in the distance.
- The complexity of the plot tends to deaden the emotional resonance of the story.
- A thin layer of cloud began to deaden the intensity of the sunlight.
- Rhetorical flourishes can deaden the effect of a message if overused.
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Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Lessen the momentum or velocity of; "deaden a ship's headway".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The anchor managed to deaden the ship's headway, bringing it to a slow stop in the rough waters.
- A large concrete block dropped in the water would deaden the waves and prevent them from crashing onto shore.
- Using the air resistance to deaden the parachute's descent, the skydiver slowly made his way down.
- Sufficient amounts of the heavy sediment helped deaden the current from the overflowing dam.
- When the captain dropped the sails, it helped to deaden the ship's momentum, allowing the crew to assess the damage.
Meaning 3
Make vapid or deprive of spirit; "deadened wine".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The romance had deadened in their relationship over the years of monotonous routine.
- Prolonged exposure to video games can deaden the imagination and creativity of children.
- Poor handling had deadened the wine, ruining the flavor and aroma that it once possessed.
- Repetitive work can deaden a person's passion and enthusiasm for their job.
- Years of physical discomfort had deadened the musician's sensitivity to touch in her left hand.
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
Cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients; "girdle the plant".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The gardener accidentally deaden the tree by tightly wrapping the rope around its trunk, which stopped the flow of nutrients and water.
- By cutting a girdle around the thick trunk, the logger had deaden the tree, making it easier to fell.
- In forestry, girdling is a technique used to deaden trees by stripping away a ring of bark and phloem.
- When the tree was attacked by a parasite, a large section of its bark was damaged, which helped to deaden a portion of the tree.
- The park ranger noticed that someone had attempted to deaden the young tree by wrapping a tight metal wire around its lower trunk.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 5
Make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; "Terror blunted her feelings"; "deaden a sound".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The sedative began to deaden the pain in her broken arm.
- Exhaustion seemed to deaden her senses as she walked for hours through the desert.
- The foam inserts in the studio were designed to deaden the echo of the sound.
- Rearranging the furniture helped to deaden the sound of the neighbor's loud music.
- Cold medication often serves to deaden the cough, making it less irritating.
Synonyms
Antonyms
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Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 6
Become lifeless, less lively, intense, or active; lose life, force, or vigor.
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The storm's lingering chill began to deaden the vibrant colors of the fall foliage.
- Her enthusiasm was starting to deaden as she faced another long day of grueling physical labor.
- The months of hearing the same stories began to deaden the impact on the young listeners.
- A yearlong drought had helped to deaden the tree's natural defenses against disease.
- The drizzling rain started to deaden the sounds of children playing outside in the backyard.
Related Words
Meaning 7
Convert (metallic mercury) into a grey powder consisting of minute globules, as by shaking with chalk or fatty oil.
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The pharmaceutical method to reduce toxicity involves mixing metallic mercury with chalk to deaden its toxic properties and form calomel.
- When handling metallic mercury, be cautious and know how to properly deaden it using an oil mixture to prevent exposure.
- In the lab, chemists used fatty oil to deaden the mercury by converting it to a less reactive compound.
- The healthcare worker knew to handle mercury with care and utilize a chalk mixture to deaden its toxic qualities after spillage.
- In an attempt to safely dispose of the metallic mercury, researchers deaden the substance using milk of magnesia before storing it.