WordWeb Online

1. The act of making something slightly wet
   - moistening

1. Suppress or constrain so as to lessen in intensity
   "dampen your curiosity";
   - stifle
    
2. Make moist
   "The dew dampened the meadows";
   - moisten, wash [literary]
    
3. Deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping
   - muffle, mute, dull, damp, tone down
    
4. Reduce the amplitude (of oscillations or waves)
    
5. Make vague, obscure or make (an image) less visible
   - deaden, damp
    
6. Check; keep in check (a fire)
    
7. Lessen in force or effect
   "dampen a shock";
   - damp, soften, weaken, break

Type of: blunt, bottle up, check, deaden, delay, inhibit, retard, soften, suppress, weaken, wet, wetting

Encyclopedia: Dampening