deaden C2 Topic:Actions & Processes US /ˈdɛdən/ See IPA manual Freq #86217 Meanings 1 verb To make a feeling or sensation, especially pain, less strong. The dentist gave him an injection to deaden the pain before drilling. 2 verb To make a sound quieter or muffled. Thick carpets and curtains deaden the noise from the street outside. 3 verb To make something less lively, intense, or active. Years of routine work had deadened her enthusiasm for the job. Verb forms Verb forms are not available for this word yet. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to make a feeling or... blunt 3 verb · to make something less... blunt Word family Forms deadeneddeadeningdeadens Derived forms deadenerdeadeninglyundeadened Etymology AI details From dead + -en. Compare Dutch doden (“to kill”), West Frisian deadzje (“to kill”). Topics Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # deaden **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈdɛdən/ **Frequency rank:** 86217 ## Meanings 1. To make a feeling or sensation, especially pain, less strong. 2. To make a sound quieter or muffled. 3. To make something less lively, intense, or active. ## Examples - The dentist gave him an injection to deaden the pain before drilling. - Thick carpets and curtains deaden the noise from the street outside. - Years of routine work had deadened her enthusiasm for the job. ## Derived Forms - deadener - deadeningly - undeadened ## Etymology From dead + -en. Compare Dutch doden (“to kill”), West Frisian deadzje (“to kill”). ## AI Etymology Deaden is from dead + -en. Compare Dutch doden (“to kill”), West Frisian deadzje (“to kill”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Current senses include to make a feeling or sensation, especially pain, less strong, to make a sound quieter or muffled, and to make something less lively, intense, or active. The wider family includes derived forms such as deadener, deadeningly, and undeadened. ## Topics - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown