DEADENING Synonyms: 166 Similar and Opposite Words

deadening 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of deadening

as in anesthetic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

deadening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of deaden

as in undermining

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

as in reducing

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 deadening

Verb

Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1. — Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026 Another suggestion was requiring special sound-deadening balls, currently available, that lower the decibel levels considerably. — John Ramos, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026 Both nationally and in Minnesota , there has been a shift away from intelligent discussion of public policy to endless partisan warfare with a deadening impact on the public. — Arne Carlson, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026 Now, Sora 2 might just be another online fad, a reality-deadening distraction that people will soon tire of. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025 Thin sound deadening The Enabling Technology prize went to CompositeEdge GmbH and ATA Mute BV for a new kind of sound deadening. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025 Scrolling on one’s phone can be a deadening experience, but here’s someone feeling, or at least pretending to feel, a genuine feeling—even if the abundance of these videos surely numbs us further. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025 But the author wisely escapes the deadening simplifications of hindsight, which turn accidents into inevitabilities and potential futures into obvious dead ends. — Catherine Nicholson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadening

Adjective

Because of their large size, giraffes are challenging to move and position appropriately for anesthetic procedures.

— Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 17 July 2026
Because there is a depersonalized, anesthetic quality to it.

— Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026

Definition of anesthetic

Verb

The same practices that have allowed the Kremlin to relentlessly tighten its political control are also undermining the state’s capacity to govern.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
As to alleged contempt, the siblings could argue that exploration of a sale of the team should not count as evidence of undermining the 2017 court order.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of undermining

Verb

According to a news release, the program will track attendance and behavioral data with the primary goals being to improve school attendance and student grades while potentially reducing psychiatric hospitalizations.

— Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
That could lower capital and operating costs while reducing safety risks during production.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of reducing

Verb

Throughout this year, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been weakening the Navy’s leadership by blocking the promotion of nearly 20 admirals.

— Andrea N. Goldstein, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Wheat futures hit their highest level in more than three years as the war in Ukraine strained supplies, further weakening the global food system.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

To protect himself, however, Trask has created an inhibitor field that de-powers any mutant nearby, dulling Wolverine’s healing power and ferocity.

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Here are the cleaning mistakes that could be dulling your hardwood floors’ shine, as well as the simple fixes to restore their finish.

— Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of dulling

Verb

The everyday cost of war Six months of conflict and severe economic hardship have made daily life exhausting for regular Iranians.

— Greg Myre, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
For Cameron, who spent decades exhausting HIV treatment options as his virus developed resistance, among the biggest benefits may be that the two-drug regimen effectively controls his virus while exposing him to fewer medications.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Browse Nearby Words

deadened

deadening

deadens

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Deadening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadening. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of deadening

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes