damp

Use damp in a sentence

This man is damp.

adjective

The definition of damp is something that is slightly wet.
A shirt that was taken out of the dryer before it is completely dry is an example of something that would be described as damp.

verb

Damp is defined as to try to restrain or limit something, or to make something slightly wet.
1. When you dab a shirt with a wet towel to get a stain out and you make the shirt slightly wet, this is an example of when you damp.
2. When you try to stop yourself from feeling sad and crying, this is an example of when you damp your emotions.
3. When you reduce how hot or bright a fire is burning, this is an example of when you damp.

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"damp." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/damp>.

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damp. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/damp

damp

a slight wetness; moisture
a harmful gas sometimes found in mines; firedamp; blackdamp
Archaic a dejected or depressed state

Origin of damp

MDu, vapor, steam, akin to OHG, MHG, German dampf from Indo-European base an unverified form dhem-, to smoke, mist from source dank

somewhat moist or wet; humid
dejected; depressed

to make damp; moisten
to slow the combustion of (a fire) by cutting off most of the air supply; bank: usually with down
to check or reduce (energy or action)
to check or deaden the vibration of (a piano string, drum membrane, etc.)
to reduce the amplitude of (oscillations, waves, etc.)

damp Idioms

damp off

to wither and die because of mildew, as seedlings, plant shoots, etc.

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MLA Style

"damp." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/damp>.

APA Style

damp. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/damp

damp

adjective

damp·er, damp·est

Slightly wet: a damp sponge.
Humid: damp air.
Archaic Dejected; depressed.

noun

a. Moisture in the air; humidity: Come in out of the damp.
b. Moisture that lies or has condensed on something: “I saw the damp lying on the bare hedges and spare grass” ( Charles Dickens )
Foul or poisonous gas that sometimes pollutes the air in coal mines.
Archaic
a. Lowness of spirits; depression: “An angry or sorrowful [countenance] throws a sudden damp upon me” ( David Hume )
b. A restraint or check; a discouragement: “The issue of arms was so slow as to throw a great damp upon volunteering” ( James Franck Bright )

transitive verb

damped, damp·ing, damps

To make damp or moist; moisten.
To suppress or extinguish (a fire) by reducing or cutting off air.
To restrain or check; discourage: news that damped our enthusiasm.
Music To slow or stop the vibrations of (the strings of a keyboard instrument) with a damper.
Physics To decrease the amplitude of (an oscillating system).

Phrasal Verbs: damp off Botany To be affected by damping off.

Origin of damp

Middle English poison gas perhaps from Middle Dutch vapor

Related Forms:

damp′ish
adjective

damp′ly
adverb

damp′ness
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"damp." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/damp>.

APA Style

damp. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/damp

Adjective

(comparative damper, superlative dampest)

Being in a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist.
- O'erspread with a damp sweat and holy fear - John Dryden
The lawn was still damp so we decided not to sit down.
The paint is still damp, so please don't touch it.

Noun

(countable and uncountable, plural damps)

Moisture; humidity; dampness.
(archaic) Fog; fogginess; vapor.
(archaic) Dejection or depression.
(archaic or historical, mining) A gaseous product, formed in coal mines, old wells, pits, etc.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present damps, present participle damping, simple past and past participle damped)

(archaic) To dampen; to render damp; to moisten; to make humid, or moderately wet; as, to damp cloth.
(archaic) To put out, as fire; to depress or deject; to deaden; to cloud; to check or restrain, as action or vigor; to make dull; to weaken; to discourage.
To suppress vibrations (mechanical) or oscillations (electrical) by converting energy to heat (some other form of energy).
- To damp your tender hopes - Mark Akenside
- Usury dulls and damps all industries, improvements, and new inventions, wherein money would be stirring if it were not for this slug - Francis Bacon
- How many a day has been damped and darkened by an angry word! - Sir John Lubbock
- The failure of his enterprise damped the spirit of the soldiers. - Thomas Babington Macaulay
- Hollow rollers damp vibration. - [1]

Anagrams

M.D. Pa.

Origin

Akin to Low German damp, Dutch damp, and Danish damp (“vapor, steam, fog”), German Dampf, Icelandic dampi, Swedish damm (“dust”), and to German dampf imperative of dimpfen (“to smoke”). Also Old English dampen (“to choke, suffocate”).