deafen

English

Etymology

Compare Dutch verdoven (“to stupefy, deafen”), German betäuben (“to stun, stupefy, deafen”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈdɛfən/
  • Rhymes: -ɛfən

Verb

deafen (third-person singular simple present deafens, present participle deafening, simple past and past participle deafened)

  1. To make deaf, either temporarily or permanently
  2. To make soundproof
    to deafen a wall or a floor
  3. (rare, dialectal) To stun (as with noise), also used figuratively.
    • Macaulav (1855)
      Racine left the ground.. deafened, dazzled and tired to death.

Translations

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