dampness C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas US /ˈdæmpnəs/ UK /ˈdæmpnəs/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the state of being slightly wet The dampness of the air made the laundry slow to dry. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the state of being slightly... moisturehumidityclamminesswetnessdankness ↔ Opposites drynessaridity Word family Related forms dampdampendampish Etymology AI details From English 'damp' + the abstract suffix -ness; 'damp' is from Middle Low German damp ('vapour, steam'), of Germanic origin. damp Middle Low German View etymology graph -> Topics Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # dampness **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈdæmpnəs/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdæmpnəs/ ## Meanings 1. the state of being slightly wet ## Examples - The dampness of the air made the laundry slow to dry. ## Synonyms - moisture - humidity - clamminess - wetness - dankness ## Antonyms - dryness - aridity ## Related Forms - damp - dampen - dampish ## Roots and Affixes - Root: damp ## Etymology From English 'damp' + the abstract suffix -ness; 'damp' is from Middle Low German damp ('vapour, steam'), of Germanic origin. ## AI Etymology Dampness is from English 'damp' + the abstract suffix -ness; 'damp' is from Middle Low German damp ('vapour, steam'), of Germanic origin. The immediate etymological form is Middle Low German damp. The suffix -ness marks an abstract noun of quality or state, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as a noun, it means "the state of being slightly wet", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include damp, dampen, and dampish. ## Topics - Abstract Ideas - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown