deaden
gb/dˈɛdən/ us/dˈɛdən/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
make less strong or intense
to make something feel weaker or less strong
Usage pattern:
deaden [pain/effect/impact/response]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with dead (adjective). Deaden is a verb meaning ‘make less strong’.
Synonyms
dampen (Often suggests reducing strength gradually or slightly.)
|
blunt (Common for reducing force or emotional impact.)
|
lessen (General word meaning ‘make smaller/less’.)
Antonyms
intensify (Make stronger or more extreme.)
|
heighten (Increase strength or effect, especially feelings or interest.)
Collocations
deaden the pain
|deaden the effect
|deaden the impact
|deaden the shock
|deaden the force
|deaden a response
|deaden criticism
|deaden enthusiasm
Themes
daily_life
|emotions
|health
Examples
- The medication deadened the pain enough for her to sleep.
- A joke at the start helped deaden the tension in the room.
- Thick gloves can deaden the feeling of the vibrations.
Learner examples
- This spray deadens the pain.
- The carpet deadened the impact of the fall.
Verb
C1
action
2
reduce sound or noise
to make a noise quieter
Usage pattern:
deaden [noise/sound/echo]
Common mistake:
Deaden often implies absorbing sound (like carpet or foam), not just turning volume down.
Synonyms
muffle (Suggests covering or blocking so the sound is less clear.)
|
dampen (Common in acoustics: reduce resonance or vibration.)
|
soundproof (Stronger and more permanent; aims to block sound transmission.)
Antonyms
amplify (Make louder.)
|
echo (Cause sound to reflect and repeat rather than be absorbed.)
Collocations
deaden the noise
|deaden the sound
|deaden the echo
|deaden footsteps
|deaden street noise
|sound-deadening material
|deaden a room
|deaden the acoustics
Themes
home
|music
|technology
Examples
- Curtains and rugs help deaden the noise from the hallway.
- They added foam panels to deaden the echo in the studio.
- Fresh snow deadened the sound of traffic.
Learner examples
- The carpet deadens the sound of footsteps.
Verb
C1
action
3
make physically numb
to make part of your body lose feeling
Usage pattern:
deaden [skin/nerves/a limb]
Common mistake:
Deaden usually means reduce sensation, not make something completely unable to move.
Synonyms
numb (The most common everyday synonym.)
|
anesthetize (More medical; often from a drug.)
Antonyms
sensitize (Make more sensitive to feeling.)
|
restore feeling (Bring sensation back.)
Collocations
deaden the nerves
|deaden the skin
|deaden the area
|deaden sensation
|cold deadens
|a numbing agent deadens
|deaden the fingertips
Themes
health
|body
Examples
- The dentist used a gel to deaden the gum before the injection.
- The icy wind deadened his cheeks within minutes.
- A tight bandage can deaden the skin if it’s left on too long.
Learner examples
- Cold water deadened my fingers.
Verb
C1
process
4
make emotionally less sensitive
to make someone feel less emotion or care less
Usage pattern:
deaden [someone] (to [something])
Common mistake:
Often used in passive (‘be deadened to…’) when describing a person’s state.
Synonyms
desensitize (Emphasizes reduced emotional reaction after repeated exposure.)
|
numb (Informal and common, especially about shock or grief.)
Antonyms
sensitize (Make more aware or responsive.)
|
move (Cause a strong emotional reaction.)
Collocations
deaden feelings
|deaden empathy
|deaden compassion
|deaden someone to suffering
|be deadened to violence
|emotionally deadened
|deaden sensitivity
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|work
Examples
- Years of bad news can deaden people to suffering they would once have found shocking.
- The constant criticism deadened his confidence.
- She tried not to let routine deaden her curiosity.
Learner examples
- The job deadened his feelings.
Verb
C1
action
5
make less bright or vivid
to make colors or light look less bright
Usage pattern:
deaden [color/light/shine]
Common mistake:
This sense is about appearance (dullness), not about killing something.
Synonyms
dull (Very close; common for both color and surface shine.)
|
dim (More about light level than color richness.)
|
tone down (Often deliberate; reduce brightness/strength.)
Antonyms
brighten (Make more bright or vivid.)
|
enliven (Make more lively or vivid, often about color or atmosphere.)
Collocations
deaden the color
|deaden the shine
|deaden the light
|deaden a gloss
|deaden the finish
|deaden the tone
Themes
art
|home
Examples
- Over time, sunlight can deaden the color of fabrics.
- Matte varnish is used to deaden the shine on the paint.
- The grey filter deadened the warm tones in the photo.
Learner examples
- Sun can deaden the color of a poster.
Verb
C1
action
6
make a blade less sharp
to make a knife or edge less sharp
Usage pattern:
deaden [blade/edge/knife]
Common mistake:
Blunt is more common in everyday speech; deaden sounds slightly more literary or technical in this sense.
Synonyms
blunt (Most common for tools and edges.)
|
dull (Common and general; also used for colors and minds.)
Antonyms
sharpen (Make an edge or point sharper.)
|
hone (Sharpen with care and precision.)
Collocations
deaden the blade
|deaden the edge
|deaden a knife
|deaden the point
|deaden the teeth (of a saw)
Themes
tools
|daily_life
Examples
- Cutting on stone can quickly deaden the blade.
- Sand and grit will deaden the edge of the skates.
- The cheap sharpener deadened the knife instead of improving it.
Learner examples
- This board can deaden your knife.
Verb
technical
C2
action
7
make a circuit safely inactive
to make electrical equipment safe by switching off power
Usage pattern:
deaden [a line/circuit/cable]
Common mistake:
This is specialized; in general English, people more often say ‘switch off’, ‘cut the power’, or ‘de-energize’.
Synonyms
de-energize (Standard technical term for removing electrical energy.)
|
isolate (Disconnect from the power source or system.)
Antonyms
energize (Supply power to make active.)
|
activate (Make operational (not specifically about electricity).)
Collocations
deaden the circuit
|deaden the line
|deaden the cable
|deaden the power
|deaden before working
|deaden and ground
|deaden the supply
Themes
technology
|electricity
|safety
Examples
- Always deaden the circuit before you start work on the panel.
- The engineer deadened the line and tested it before cutting the cable.
- They deadened the supply to prevent accidental shock.
Grammar
Dictionary form
deaden
IPA
GB/dˈɛdən/
US/dˈɛdən/
Syllables & stress
deaden (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (deaden)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: deaden
- 3rd Person Singular: deadens
- Present Participle: deadening
- Past: deadened
Word family
Expressions
be deadened to [something]
1/bˈi dˈidənd tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
become less sensitive to something
to not feel much about something anymore
Examples
- After years in emergency medicine, she was deadened to the sound of alarms.
- He seemed deadened to criticism after hearing it so often.
- By the end of the hike, my feet were deadened to the cold.
deaden the blow
1/dˈɛdən ðə blˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
reduce the harsh effect
to make bad news or a hit feel less bad
Examples
- He tried to deaden the blow by starting with some good news.
- The thick padding deadened the blow when she fell.
- A small bonus helped deaden the blow of the pay cut.
deaden the senses
1/dˈɛdən ðə sˈɛnsɪz/
fixed phrase
make people less aware
to make someone feel and notice less
Examples
- Too much alcohol can deaden the senses and slow your reactions.
- Long hours in front of a screen can deaden the senses over time.
- The loud, constant music seemed designed to deaden the senses.