From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdampendamp‧en /ˈdæmpən/ verb [transitive] 1 WETto make something slightly wet SYN moisten2 SPOIL (also dampen down British English) to make something such as a feeling or activity less strong The light rain dampened the crowd’s enthusiasm. Raising interest rates might dampen the economy.3 to make a sound or movement less loud or strong The spring dampens the shock of the impact.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
dampen• She dampened a cloth and held it to his forehead.• Demand for gasoline has been dampened by the recession.• However, in a quiet way he probably did much to dampen ill-judged enthusiasm for Habbakuk.• Very dry plaster, or other high-suction backgrounds should be dampened immediately before fixing the cove.• My many mistakes didn't dampen my enthusiasm for gardening.• The separate failures of these two giants seemed to dampen the prospects for ever solving the longitude problem with a clock.• Dampen the soil a little before you put the seeds in.• Soggy underfoot it may be, but it's hard to dampen the spirit of the country's premier rowing event.• Sea spray and rain dampened them instantly.• a cloth dampened with alcohol• I willed myself into a hypnotic state, feeling my armpits dampen with sweat.• Roll out half the white icing to the same shape as the pink, and lightly dampen with water.• If you dampen your piece of paper before you start painting it will be easier to paint evenly. 