deadening

[ ded-n-ing ]

noun

1. a device or material employed to deaden or render dull.
2. a device or material preventing the transmission of sound.
3. a woodland in which the trees are killed by girdling prior to being cleared.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deadening¹

First recorded in 1775–85; deaden + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

And the shine from his latest gold medal hasn’t come close to deadening.

From Los Angeles Times

But it also has a deadening clockwork quality.

From Los Angeles Times

I’m reluctant to embrace that particular stay-in-your-lane logic, which is ultimately deadening to the cause of art and empathy.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet serious hurt that goes unacknowledged leads to the accumulation of resentment and a deadening of the relationship.

From New York Times

“In a nutshell, anesthesia would only be useful for deadening the nerves in the scalp, as there are no sensory nerves in the skull bone,” Verano said.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• calming