deflated
deflated — adjective
1. suddenly without energy or self-belief because something has disappointed or dis
suddenly without energy or self-belief because something has disappointed or discouraged you
Ada walked off the stage feeling deflated after the audience barely clapped.
predicative: feel deflated after [event]
The whole team looked deflated when the coach read out the final score.
look deflated + when-clause for a triggering moment
Michael came home from the interview tired and deflated, certain he would not get the job.
After three rejection letters in one week, Yuna sat at her kitchen table looking utterly deflated.
A deflated father slumped on the sofa after his daughter told him she was dropping out of college.
- disheartened
very close in meaning; slightly more formal
- demoralized
stronger; suggests longer-lasting loss of motivation
- crestfallen
literary; emphasises the visible droop of the face
- downcast
general low mood, not always tied to a specific setback
- elated
intensely happy and proud
- buoyant
lighthearted and confident
- encouraged
given new hope or confidence
文法句型
be deflated (after/by NP)
feel deflated
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a person or a group, never a thing; the cause is usually named (after/by/when…). Distinguish from sense verb/1 where 'deflated' refers literally to losing air.
常見錯誤
deflated — verb
1. to let air or gas out of a container so it becomes soft or flat, or for the cont
to let air or gas out of a container so it becomes soft or flat, or for the container to lose its firmness as the air or gas leaves
Gabriel knelt beside the truck and slowly deflated the spare tyre before storing it in the garage.
transitive: deflate + concrete object (tyre / balloon / raft)
The bouncy castle began to deflate the moment the power to the pump was switched off.
intransitive: NP begins to deflate
Élise carefully deflated each balloon and tucked them into a box for next year's party.
If you leave the air mattress out overnight, it will slowly deflate by the morning.
Antonia used a thin needle to deflate the football without making any noise.
文法句型
deflate NP (tyre, balloon, raft)
NP deflates
用法筆記
Takes either a transitive object (the thing you let the air out of) or an intransitive subject (the thing losing air). Object must be something inflatable — tyre, balloon, raft, mattress, ball. Distinguish from verb/2 (reduce in size or importance, used of abstract things).
常見錯誤
2. to make something seem smaller, weaker, or less significant than it was before —
to make something seem smaller, weaker, or less significant than it was before — for example, by exposing a person's pride as unjustified, or by undermining a hope or argument
One sharp question from the journalist was enough to deflate the politician's confident smile.
deflate + abstract object (smile / confidence / pride)
Shanti hated to deflate her son's excitement, but the trip would have to be cancelled.
deflate someone's excitement / enthusiasm
The bad reviews quickly deflated the new restaurant's growing reputation in the neighbourhood.
Sade enjoyed deflating the egos of the senior partners with a dry one-line joke at meetings.
A single fact from the lawyer was enough to deflate the entire claim made by the witness.
文法句型
deflate NP (hopes, ego, reputation, claim)
用法筆記
Object is always abstract — hopes, ego, claim, reputation, excitement, mood. Unlike verb/1, the subject is usually an event, comment, or piece of information rather than a person doing a physical action. Distinguish from verb/3, where the object is specifically prices or credit in an economic context.
常見錯誤
3. in economics, to bring prices down or to shrink the supply of money and credit i
in economics, to bring prices down or to shrink the supply of money and credit in an economy, usually by government or central-bank action
The central bank tried to deflate the housing market by raising interest rates three times in one year.
deflate + market / prices / the economy
Pim warned the cabinet that raising taxes too quickly might deflate consumer spending across the country.
deflate consumer spending / demand
Critics argued that the new policy would deflate wages without bringing down the cost of food.
The finance minister moved cautiously, afraid that aggressive cuts would deflate the whole economy.
文法句型
deflate NP (prices / the economy / credit)
用法筆記
Restricted to economics writing. Object is always a price-related abstract: market, prices, wages, demand, credit, the economy. Distinguish from verb/2: that sense applies broadly to ego, hopes, and claims, while this sense applies only to economic quantities.