Definition of "dampen"

dampen

/ˈdæmpən/

verb
third-person singular simple present dampens, present participle dampening, simple past and past participle dampened
1. (transitive) To make damp or moist; to make moderately wet.
2. (intransitive) To become damp or moist.
3. (transitive) To lessen; to dull; to make less intense (said of emotions and non-physical things).
  Quotations
  He was dreadfully familiar with everything, and talked about some places we were longing to see in a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm.
  1883 "Pomona's Daughter", Frank R. Stockton, in The Century, vol. XXVI, number 1, May, page 25
  Pregnant women are 20 times as likely as other healthy young women to contract listeriosis, probably because in pregnancy the immune system is dampened to prevent rejection of the fetus.
  2007 October 16, Jane E. Brody, “Despite Strides, Listeria Needs Vigilance”, in The New York Times
  The firm said changes in consumer behaviour had also dampened demand for the powder.
  2020 May 20, “J&J to sell baby powder in UK despite stopping US sales”, in BBC‎, London: BBC, retrieved 2020-05-22
4. (transitive, proscribed) To suppress vibrations (mechanical) or oscillations (electrical) by converting energy to heat (or some other form of energy).[usage 1]
5. (intransitive) To become damped or deadened.