dampen
gb/dˈæmpən/ us/dˈæmpən/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
B2
action
1
make slightly wet
To make something a little wet.
Schéma d’usage :
dampen [something] (with [liquid])
Erreur fréquente :
Don’t confuse with damp (adjective) meaning ‘slightly wet’.
Synonymes
moisten (Often suggests adding a small amount of water.)
|
wet (More general; can imply more water than dampen.)
|
sprinkle (Focuses on how liquid is applied (in drops).)
Antonymes
dry (Remove moisture or make not wet.)
Collocations
dampen a cloth
|dampen a sponge
|dampen the surface
|dampen the paper
|dampen a towel
|lightly dampen
|dampen with water
|dampen with a spray bottle
Thèmes
daily_life
|household
Exemples
- Dampen a clean cloth and wipe the screen gently.
- She dampened the pastry edges so they would stick together.
- Lightly dampen the soil before planting the seeds.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Please dampen the cloth with water.
- I dampened the paper a little.
Verbe
B2
action
2
make less strong or intense
To make something less strong or less exciting.
Schéma d’usage :
dampen [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Dampen usually means ‘reduce’ (make weaker), not ‘make worse’ in every sense.
Synonymes
diminish (More formal; emphasizes becoming smaller or weaker.)
|
quell (Suggests forcefully stopping a feeling or reaction.)
|
cool (Informal; often used for enthusiasm or anger.)
Antonymes
heighten (Make stronger or more intense.)
|
intensify (Increase strength or force.)
|
boost (Increase or improve, often deliberately.)
Collocations
dampen enthusiasm
|dampen spirits
|dampen excitement
|dampen confidence
|dampen hopes
|dampen the impact
|dampen demand
|dampen growth
|dampen tensions
|dampen interest
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|work
Exemples
- The sudden delay dampened everyone’s enthusiasm.
- High interest rates can dampen consumer spending.
- His criticism dampened her confidence before the interview.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The bad news dampened my mood.
- Rain can dampen our plans.
Verbe
C1
action
3
reduce sound or echo
To make a sound quieter or less echoing.
Schéma d’usage :
dampen [sound/noise/echo]
Erreur fréquente :
Dampen here means ‘reduce sound’, not ‘make wet’. Context usually makes it clear.
Synonymes
muffle (Suggests making sound harder to hear or less clear.)
|
deadening (Often used for removing resonance in a room.)
|
soften (More general; can apply to sound or impact.)
Antonymes
amplify (Make a sound louder.)
|
enhance (Improve or increase a sound’s effect/quality.)
Collocations
dampen sound
|dampen noise
|dampen the echo
|dampen vibrations
|sound-dampening materials
|dampen the acoustics
|dampen street noise
Thèmes
home
|music
|science
Exemples
- Thick curtains help dampen street noise at night.
- Acoustic panels were installed to dampen the echo in the hall.
- Carpet can dampen footsteps in an upstairs room.
Exemples pédagogiques
- These curtains dampen the noise.
- Carpet helps dampen sound.
Verbe
technical
C1
process
4
reduce vibration in a system
To make vibrations smaller or stop them faster.
Schéma d’usage :
dampen [vibration/oscillation]
Erreur fréquente :
In technical contexts, dampen is about vibrations/oscillation; damping is the noun.
Synonymes
attenuate (More technical; often used for signals and intensity.)
|
reduce (General term; less specific than dampen in physics.)
Antonymes
excite (Cause a system to vibrate more strongly (technical use).)
|
amplify (Increase the magnitude of a signal or response.)
Collocations
dampen oscillations
|dampen vibration
|dampen resonance
|dampen a signal
|dampen a response
|dampen a shock
|dampen movement
|dampen the system
Thèmes
engineering
|science
Exemples
- The suspension is designed to dampen vibrations from the road.
- Engine mounts help dampen oscillations at high speed.
- Adding mass can dampen the system’s response to shocks.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The part dampens vibration.
- This material dampens oscillations.
Verbe
C1
process
5
become less intense
To become weaker or less exciting.
Schéma d’usage :
[feeling/excitement] dampens
Erreur fréquente :
Learners often use only the transitive form; dampen can also be intransitive in formal writing.
Synonymes
fade (Emphasizes gradually becoming weaker or less clear.)
|
subside (Often used for feelings, pain, or storms calming down.)
Antonymes
build (Increase gradually in strength or intensity.)
|
grow (Become stronger over time.)
Collocations
enthusiasm dampened
|excitement dampened
|spirits dampened
|interest dampened
|momentum dampened
Thèmes
emotions
|daily_life
Exemples
- As the waiting dragged on, their excitement dampened.
- Her anger dampened after he apologized.
- Public interest dampened once the story left the headlines.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My excitement dampened after the delay.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
dampen
API
GB/dˈæmpən/
US/dˈæmpən/
Syllabes et accentuation
dampen (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (dampen)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: dampen
- 3rd Person Singular: dampens
- Present Participle: dampening
- Past: dampened
Famille de mots
Expressions
dampen down
1/dˈæmpən dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
make less intense
To make something less strong.
Exemples
- The coach tried to dampen down the hype before the final.
- She dampened down her reaction so she wouldn’t cause a scene.
- Officials moved quickly to dampen down fears about the shortage.
dampen someone's spirits
1/dˈæmpən sˈʌmwˌʌnz spˈɪɹɪts/
fixed phrase
make someone less cheerful
To make someone feel sadder or less excited.
Exemples
- The loss dampened the team’s spirits, but they kept training.
- Don’t let one bad comment dampen your spirits.
- The gloomy forecast dampened everyone’s spirits at the picnic.
dampen the blow
1/dˈæmpən ðə blˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
reduce bad impact
To make bad news hurt less.
Exemples
- A severance package helped dampen the blow of losing his job.
- She tried to dampen the blow by sharing the news gently.
- The discount dampened the blow of the price increase.
dampen the mood
1/dˈæmpən ðə mˈud/
fixed phrase
make atmosphere less cheerful
To make the mood less happy.
Exemples
- I don’t want to dampen the mood, but we need to talk about money.
- The argument quickly dampened the mood at dinner.
- A power cut dampened the mood during the party.