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deadened

deadened

5.1
Less strong so a feeling or pain is not as intense
  • adjective
  • /ˈdɛdnd/
translation icon : adormecido
  • The harsh criticism left her with a deadened enthusiasm for the project.

Examples

  • It's like therapy, but it's been deadened by so many things in our world, by social media, by the pressures we're under, by just modern lifestyle.

  • They ceremoniously embrace her, put the dress on her, cover her face and welcome her into the deadened world of things.

  • It's not the peace of having deadened yourself through emotions or anything like that.

  • And but actually there was something in the palm, a sort of deadened grief, a sort of with withholding of of something.

  • After the accident, he felt a deadened sense of pain in his leg.

  • Living in isolation had deadened his emotions, making it difficult to connect with others.

Synonyms

attenuated
vsdeadened
1 7.2

Made weaker or less strong

applies specifically to feelings or sensations rather than any effect
dulled
vsdeadened
4.3

Made less strong or clear

refers to emotions losing strength rather than losing sharpness or brightness

Antonyms

Made stronger or more serious

How Intense

numb
62 4.1
deadened
5.1
subdued
9 4.2

Surface Forms

deadened positive

Morphology

deadened = deaden (transparent) = dead + en + ed

The adjective is formed by adding -ed to the verb 'deaden' (itself 'dead' + -en), and the meaning 'made less intense or numb' follows directly from 'dead'.

Etymology

The word deadened comes from dead and -en, where dead means 'without feeling' and -en means 'make'. So something deadened is made 'less strong', like turning down the volume on a sound or on a feeling.