different between dampen vs discourage

English

Etymology

From damp +? -en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dæmp?n/

Verb

dampen (third-person singular simple present dampens, present participle dampening, simple past and past participle dampened)

1. (transitive) To make damp or moist; to make moderately wet.
2. (intransitive) To become damp or moist.
3. (transitive) To lessen; to dull; to make less intense (said of emotions and non-physical things).
   • 1883 "Pomona's Daughter", Frank R. Stockton, in The Century, vol. XXVI, number 1, May, page 25

     He was dreadfully familiar with everything, and talked about some places we were longing to see in a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm.

   • 2007 October 16, Jane E. Brody, “Despite Strides, Listeria Needs Vigilance”, The New York Times,

     Pregnant women are 20 times as likely as other healthy young women to contract listeriosis, probably because in pregnancy the immune system is dampened to prevent rejection of the fetus.
4. (intransitive) To become damped or deadened.

Translations

Anagrams

• dampne, madnep

Danish

Noun

dampen c

1. definite singular of damp

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?mp?(n)/
• Hyphenation: dam?pen
• Rhymes: -?mp?n

Etymology 1

From damp +? -en. The meaning “to vape” is a semantic loan from English.

Verb

dampen

1. (intransitive) to steam, to give off steam or smoke
2. (intransitive) to vape (to inhale the vapour of an electronic cigarette)

   Synonym: vapen

Inflection

Derived terms

• bedampen
• indampen
• uitdampen
• verdampen

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Noun

dampen

1. Plural form of damp

Middle English

Verb

dampen

1. Alternative form of dampnen

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

dampen m

1. definite singular of damp

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

dampen

1. definite singular of damp

English

Etymology

From Middle French descourager (modern French décourager), from Old French descouragier, from des- and corage. Surface analysis dis- +? courage.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d?s?k???d??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d?s?k??d??/
• Hyphenation: dis?cour?age

Verb

discourage (third-person singular simple present discourages, present participle discouraging, simple past and past participle discouraged) (transitive)

1. (transitive) To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.

   • Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

2. (transitive) To persuade somebody not to do (something).
   • 1854, Abraham Lincoln. Notes for a Law Lecture

     Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.

Synonyms

• becourage
• deter
• dissuade

Antonyms

• encourage

Translations

Noun

discourage (uncountable)

1. (rare) Lack of courage

Synonyms

• (lack of courage): cowardliness

Further reading

• discourage in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.