damp

Meaning

Adj

1. In a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist.
2. (figuratively) Despondent; dispirited, downcast.
3. Permitting the possession of alcoholic beverages, but not their sale.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Moisture; humidity; dampness.
2. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Fog; fogginess; vapor.
3. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Dejection or depression; something that spoils a positive emotion (such as enjoyment, satisfaction, expectation or courage) or a desired activity.
4. (archaic, countable, historical, uncountable) A gaseous product, formed in coal mines, old wells, pits, etc.

Verb

1. (transitive) To suppress vibrations (mechanical) or oscillations (electrical) by converting energy to heat (or some other form of energy).
2. (archaic, transitive) To dampen; to make moderately wet.
3. (archaic, transitive) To put out, as fire; to weaken, restrain, or make dull.

Synonyms

moist

wet

humid

dampen

moisture

dampness

moisten

humidity

wetness

soaked

dank

deaden

soften

weaken

mute

🔇

dull

moistness

muffle

dampish

dankness

tone down

clammy

watery

bate

check

become wet

wilted

get wet

allay

discouragement

make damp

stifle

soak

snow

❄️

muggy

depress

reduce

undried

moderate

break

impair

humidify

enervate

green

debilitate

discourage

abate

chill

damping

dampened

Translations

humide

feucht

umido

húmedo

dämpfen

mojado

nass

vochtig

bagnato

amortir

moite

mouillé

Feuchtigkeit

befeuchten

umidità

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dæmp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: dampen

Cognate with Dutch: damp

Cognate with German: Dampf

Cognate with Icelandic: dampi

Cognate with Swedish: damm

Cognate with German: dampf

In summary

From Middle English dampen (“to stifle; suffocate”). Akin to Low German damp, Dutch damp, and German Dampf (“vapor, steam, fog”), Icelandic dampi, Swedish damm (“dust”), and to German dampf imperative of dimpfen (“to smoke”). Also Middle English dampen (“to extinguish, choke, suffocate”). Ultimately all descend from Proto-Germanic *dampaz.