damp

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damp¹

  • /ˈdæmp/
  • [ˈdæmp]
  • /ˈdeə̯mp/ Canada, US
  • [ˈdeə̯mp] Canada, US
  • /ˈdɛə̯mp/ Canada, US
  • [ˈdɛə̯mp] Canada, US
  • /ˈdeːmp/ Australia
  • [ˈdeːmp] Australia

Rhymes with -æmp

Where it comes from

From Middle English dampen (“to stifle; suffocate”), from Old English damp, from Proto-Germanic *dampaz.

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

adjective damper · dampest

  1. In a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist. 25 January 2017, Leena Camadoo writing in The Guardian, Dominican banana producers at sharp end of climate change Once the farms have been drained and the dead plants have been cut down and cleared, farmers then have to be alert for signs of black sigatoka, a devastating fungus which flourishes in d

    Similar: moist

  2. figuratively Despondent; dispirited, downcast. 27 July 2016, Jane O’Faherty in The Irish Independent, Monarchs and prison officers win big on second race day Though Travis's 'Why does it always Rain on Me' boomed around the stands, there were few damp spirits in Galway on day two of the races.

    Similar: glum

  3. Permitting the possession of alcoholic beverages, but not their sale. The Roadhouse was twenty-seve miles down the road from Niniltna, nine feet and three inches outside the Niniltna Native Association's tribal jurisdiction, and therefore not subject to the dry law currently in effect. Or was it damp? Kate thought it might have changed, yet again, at the last election

Similar: thoan, thone, melancholy, sorrowful

noun damps

  1. countable, uncountable Moisture; humidity; dampness. Ere twice in murk and occidental damp / Moist Hesperus hath quench’d his sleepy lamp,
  2. archaic, countable, uncountable Fog; fogginess; vapor. Night […] with black air / Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom.
  3. archaic, countable, uncountable Dejection or depression; something that spoils a positive emotion (such as enjoyment, satisfaction, expectation or courage) or a desired activity. Ev’n now, while thus I stand blest in thy Presence, / A secret Damp of Grief comes o’er my Thoughts,
  4. archaic, countable, historical, uncountable A gaseous product, formed in coal mines, old wells, pits, etc. There are sulphurous Vapours which infect the Vegetables, and render the Grass unwholsom to the Cattle that feed upon it: Miners are often hurt by these Steams. Observations made in some of the Mines in Derbyshire, describe four sorts of those Damps.

verb damps · damping · damped

  1. transitive To suppress vibrations (mechanical) or oscillations (electrical) by converting energy to heat (or some other form of energy). Hydraulic shock absorbers are used to damp out vertical and lateral oscillations.
  2. archaic, transitive To dampen; to make moderately wet. to damp cloth

    Similar: moisten

  3. archaic, transitive To put out, as fire; to weaken, restrain, or make dull. How many a day has been damped and darkened by an angry word!

DAMP²

noun DAMPs

  1. abbreviation, countable, initialism, uncountable Initialism of damage-associated molecular pattern
  2. abbreviation, acronym, countable, uncountable Acronym of deficits in attention, motor control and perception.

Damp³

Where it comes from

* As an English surname, from the adjective damp.

* As a north/Low German and Danish surname, from places with the name Damp, such as Damp in Schleswig-Holstein, possibly from an old onomatopoeic verb meaning "to fall down," referring to falling watercourse of the Bökenau / Schwastrumer Au near the estate. Compare Danish dumpe and English dump.

proper noun

  1. A municipality in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
  2. A surname from German.
  3. A surname from English.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: moist, moistness, dampen, wet, break, weaken, tone down, soften, muffle, deaden, dull, mute, dank, humid, dewy, humidity

adjective

Similar: thoan, thone, melancholy, sorrowful

Translations

Every language

adj Being in a state between dry and wet

한국어축축하다 chukchukhada
日本語湿っぽい shimeppoi, 湿った shimetta
中文潮濕 /潮湿 cháoshi, 濕潤 /湿润 shīrùn
हिन्दीआर्द्र ārdra
Portuguêsúmido, húmido
Françaishumide, moite, mouillé
Deutschfeucht
Italianoumido, bagnato, madido
Ελληνικάνοτερός noterós
Românăumed
Русскийсыро́й syrój
Tiếng Việtẩm
עבריתלַח laẖ

adj Dejected

Ελληνικάαποθαρρυμένος apotharryménos

noun moisture

Españolhumedad
Portuguêsumidade, humidade
Françaishumidité
DeutschFeuchtigkeit
Italianoumidità
Ελληνικάυγρασία ygrasía, νότος nótos
العربيةرُطُوبة ruṭūba

noun dejection

Ελληνικάαποθάρρυνση apothárrynsi

noun gaseous product

Françaisgrisou
DeutschDunst
Italianogrisù
Ελληνικάνοτίδα notída

verb to suppress vibrations or oscillations

Españolamortiguar
Portuguêsamortecer
Françaisamortir
Deutschdämpfen
Italianosmorzare

verb to put out, as fire

Deutschersticken, dämpfen
Italianosmorzare, soffocare, rallentare

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Cite this
MLA

"damp." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/damp. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

damp. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/damp

Chicago

"damp." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/damp.

BibTeX
@misc{damp_2026,
  title = {damp},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/damp},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}