deafening

[ def-uh-ning ]

adjective

1. overwhelmingly loud; booming; earsplitting: the deafening sound of a chainsaw.

   the crowd’s deafening roar;

   the deafening sound of a chainsaw.

noun

1. deadening ( def 2 ).

deafening

/ ˈdɛfənɪŋ /

adjective

1. excessively loud

   deafening music

Derived Forms

• ˈdeafeningly, adverb

Other Words From

• half-deaf·en·ing adjective
• non·deaf·en·ing adjective
• non·deaf·en·ing·ly adverb
• qua·si-deaf·en·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deafening¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; deafen + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

These bolts of raw electricity ricochet through thin air, arcing from stormy skies and blasting whatever they hit with a deafening roar.

From Washington Post

By themselves, the images play a quiet drumbeat, but collectively they create a deafening boom that lays bare the harsh reality of inequality in America.

From Time

Close your eyes and listen carefully to the deafening sound of the furious water crashing into rock, much like the screams of people past, at least according to one terrifying legend.

From Ozy

To woo females, male cicadas emit an ear-splitting mating call—muscle contractions cause their tymbal organ to vibrate, and their hollow abdomen amplifies the sound to deafening levels.

From Time

It also pledged to review the “Arrowhead Chop” that accompanies the deafening war chant that echoes through the stands of the notoriously loud venue.

From Washington Post

They know they will face either a swift backlash or deafening silence.

From The Daily Beast

Internet chatter rose to a deafening roar as speculation began about what—plastic surgery?

From The Daily Beast

Any upcoming release of a new Apple product guarantees a deafening cacophony of idle speculation from tech sites.

From The Daily Beast

He joked about the deafening noise levels in the old C-130 transport planes and sex at his age, then approaching 60.

From The Daily Beast

Then a deafening cheer, as 50,000 people realized at once we had just experienced a major earthquake.

From The Daily Beast

Instead of the quiet, silent scholars, you would hear a loud and deafening buzz.

From Project Gutenberg

The Koreans call this noise kang-siong, and it seems almost deafening to one unused to it.

From Project Gutenberg

And then the Monitor's deafening hammer sounded again, and after that, silence.

From Project Gutenberg

The creature kept up a deafening squealing, while out of the bush rushed Dandy, the farmers dog.

From Project Gutenberg

A deafening crash of thunder fell upon the forest and the lightning was striking trees far and near.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blaring
• noisy
• ringing
• roaring
• rowdy
• thunderous
• vociferous