deadened 1 of 2

adjective

as in anesthetized

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deadened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of deaden
1
as in undermined
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality an excess of detail deadens much of the mystery novel's suspense

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling a couple of aspirins deadened the headache

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deadened
Verb
Exposing the dental pulp and cleaning out the cavity’s contents also would have deadened the nerves and blood vessels there, leading to pain relief, Zubova said. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 May 2026 Merrill had the same impulse—the need to become a self not necessarily free of all that money could buy but not crippled or deadened by it, either. — Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadened
  1. anesthetized
  2. undermined
  3. reduced
  4. drugged
  5. weakened
  6. dulled
  7. stupefied
  8. exhausted
Adjective
  • Direct evidence on the mole-rat brain response to isopropyl myristate came from functional ultrasound imaging, a technique that tracks blood flow non-invasively in an anesthetized animal.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
  • Future research could help clinicians guide the anesthetized brain toward a sleep-like state, rather than a coma-like one.
    — Lucy Nemchek, Hartford Courant, 15 May 2026
Definition of anesthetized
Verb
  • The scandals involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have undermined the reputation of the monarchy, and the King, still receiving cancer treatment, needs family support as never before.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This strategic move undermined the Nazis’ ability to use the monarchy to legitimize their occupation.
    — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of undermined
Verb
  • Obviously, that’s a fair assumption if his ice time is meaningfully reduced, and the same goes for Draisaitl.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The development comes as the global shipping industry contends with attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, higher energy prices, and sharply reduced traffic through some of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduced
Adjective
  • His record includes work concerning drunk and drugged driving, criminal sentencing, public safety, the rights of victims and the administration of the courts.
    — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Joel Sicon Porix, who was part of a road repair crew, was killed Monday when an allegedly drugged driver barreled onto the sidewalk in Nesconset.
    — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of drugged
Verb
  • Airstrikes have weakened the regime militarily but strengthened its standing internally.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That mechanism has weakened substantially since the global financial crisis, and particularly since 2020.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakened
Verb
  • The sparkle in her eyes had dulled and her smile seemed forced.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Decades of scrolling have dulled our senses somewhat; this is inevitable.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dulled
Adjective
  • Certain men have reportedly watched CCTV footage of their stupefied selves inexplicably helping their robbers gut their apartments of possessions.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The man hugged a bag, the woman shouted and flailed her arms, and the young teenage boy pulled at his sister, who seemed stupefied.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
Definition of stupefied
Verb
  • Social Security’s retirement trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2032, with the combined retirement and disability trust funds exhausted by around 2033 or 2034.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The result was a landscape repeatedly cleared and exhausted for cotton and other cash crops.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausted

Browse Nearby Words

dead ends
deadened
deadening
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Cite this Entry

“Deadened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadened. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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