Deaden \Dead"en\ (d[e^]d"'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Deadened} (d[e^]d"'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Deadening}.] [From {Dead}; cf. AS. d?dan to kill, put to death. See {Dead}, a.] 1. To make as dead; to impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; to lessen the force or acuteness of; to blunt; as, to deaden the natural powers or feelings; to deaden a sound.
As harper lays his open palm Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations. --Longfellow.
2. To lessen the velocity or momentum of; to retard; as, to deaden a ship's headway.
3. To make vapid or spiritless; as, to deaden wine.
4. To deprive of gloss or brilliancy; to obscure; as, to deaden gilding by a coat of size.
5. To render impervious to sound, as a wall or floor; to deafen. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Not even heavy showers Friday and Saturday seemed to deaden the city's festive spirit.
In society at large, though, they must often work at jobs that deaden initiative and cope with irritating consumer shortages _ once rare in Czechoslovakia.