damping
damping — adjective
1. a little wet, often giving an unpleasant cold or sticky feel
a little wet, often giving an unpleasant cold or sticky feel
Fatima wiped the counter with a damping cloth after washing the dishes.
damping + noun (attributive use)
The damping air in the cave made everyone's skin feel cold and clammy.
A damping smell came from the pile of wet laundry left in the basket.
Kenji's damping socks left wet footprints on the wooden floor.
Grace refused to sit on the damping bench until it had dried in the sun.
- dry
having no moisture at all
文法句型
damp + noun
be + damp
用法筆記
Commonly describes surfaces, air, cloth, or weather that feel a little wet and uncomfortable rather than refreshingly moist.
常見錯誤
damping — noun
1. small amounts of unwanted water in the air or inside buildings, often causing da
small amounts of unwanted water in the air or inside buildings, often causing damage to walls, furniture, or health
The rainy season caused damping to form on the walls of Satoshi's apartment.
Kwame bought a dehumidifier to remove the damping from the basement after the storm.
collocation: remove damping
Damping in poorly ventilated houses can lead to mold on furniture and clothes.
The doctor warned that damping in the bedroom was making Hana's cough worse.
Linnea noticed a strong smell of damping when she walked into the old library.
- dryness
the state of having no unwanted water
用法筆記
Uncountable; used mostly in British English. More commonly expressed with the noun 'damp' in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
damping — verb
1. to reduce the strength of a fire by covering it or limiting its air supply, so t
to reduce the strength of a fire by covering it or limiting its air supply, so that it keeps burning but at a much slower rate
Kenji damped the campfire with soil before going to sleep.
damp + with [material]
Sofia damped the fireplace logs with ash to keep them burning through the night.
The old stove fire was carefully damped with wet sand by the night guard.
Amir used a wet blanket to damp the bonfire until only embers glowed.
After the barbecue, Leila damped the charcoal with a splash of water.
- stoke
to add fuel or air to a fire to make it burn more fiercely
文法句型
damp + noun phrase (fire source) + with [material]
damp down + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with the particle 'down' as a phrasal verb ('damp down the fire'). The object is always a fire, flame, or burning material — logs, coals, embers, charcoal.
常見錯誤
2. to make economic growth, consumer spending, or business output slow down or beco
to make economic growth, consumer spending, or business output slow down or become weaker
The central bank raised interest rates to damp economic growth across the country.
damp + economic growth — typical economic collocation
Omar worried that higher tariffs would damp trade between the two regions.
damp + trade — used with cross-border economic nouns
Rising energy costs damped consumer spending and slowed the factory's output.
The new tax law damped investment in small businesses across the state.
The government's strict rules damped activity in the construction industry.
文法句型
damp + noun phrase (economic activity, growth, spending)
用法筆記
Common in economic and policy writing. The object is usually an economic noun such as 'growth,' 'spending,' 'demand,' or 'trade.' Unlike sense 1 (damp a fire), this sense does not take the particle 'down.'
常見錯誤
3. Something damps a feeling — joy, excitement, hope — when it takes away some of i
Something damps a feeling — joy, excitement, hope — when it takes away some of its energy, so the emotion becomes calmer or less forceful than it was.
The rain on the wedding day damped the guests' excitement, but the party inside was still lively.
Omar's enthusiasm for the project was damped when he learned about the budget cuts.
passive: be damped by [something]
A harsh review from the art teacher damped Hiroshi's desire to paint again.
The constant delays damped the team's excitement about the product launch.
Knowing that many people disagreed with her views did not damp Ananya's confidence in her research.
- dampen
Far more common today than 'damp' for this sense; 'damp' is slightly more literary or old-fashioned.
- quell
Stronger — implies stopping the feeling completely rather than just reducing it.
- temper
Slightly more formal; suggests making something less extreme while keeping its basic character.
- diminish
More general — can apply to emotions, value, or physical quantity, not just feelings.
文法句型
damp + noun phrase (emotion)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice when an external event reduces a feeling. The object is almost always an emotion or mental state — excitement, enthusiasm, confidence, joy, hope, morale.
常見錯誤
4. to make a mechanical system, musical instrument, or moving part produce less vib
to make a mechanical system, musical instrument, or moving part produce less vibration, resulting in a quieter or more controlled operation
The engineers installed rubber pads under the machine to damp the vibration from the motor.
infinitive of purpose: to damp + direct object (vibration)
Felt strips inside a piano damp each string after the key is released.
Mei-Lin damped the speaker cabinet with foam to stop the humming noise.
The car shock absorbers damped the vibration from the rough road surface.
To damp the noise from the pipes, Satoshi wrapped them in thick foam insulation.
- amplify
to increase the strength of a sound or signal, the opposite of damping
文法句型
damp + object (a vibration, sound, or oscillation)
用法筆記
Frequently used in engineering, physics, and acoustics contexts. The object is typically something that vibrates or produces sound — a string, a membrane, an oscillation, or background noise.
5. to make a surface, cloth, or object lightly wet, usually by sprinkling or touchi
to make a surface, cloth, or object lightly wet, usually by sprinkling or touching it with a small amount of water
Theo damped a clean cloth with cold water and pressed it against his forehead.
damp + cloth with [liquid]
Before ironing the silk shirt, Hana damped the fabric evenly with a spray bottle.
damp + fabric before ironing
The gardener damped the soil around each seedling to help the roots settle in.
Santiago damped a paper towel and wiped the dust off the window sill.
Mei-Lin always damps her brush before dipping it into the watercolour paint.
- dry
to remove moisture from something
文法句型
damp + noun phrase
用法筆記
Object is usually a fabric, sponge, brush, or surface that absorbs water.