Deaden
/ˈdɛd.ən/noun
To make less lively, less intense, or less sensitive.
Did you know?Deaden is built from dead, and that same ancient root also gave English the word death, so the verb carries a direct linguistic shadow of mortality.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
dēad
“dead, lifeless”
Old English
OE
-en
“verb-forming suffix used to make causative verbs”
Middle English
ME
deden
“to make dead; to kill or render lifeless”
15th Century
English
deaden
“to make less lively, less sharp, or less intense”
Modern English
English
deaden
“to reduce or destroy vitality, force, sensation, or sound”