DEADENING

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does deadening mean? 

• DEADENING (noun)
  The noun DEADENING has 1 sense:

1. the act of making something futile and useless (as by routine)

  Familiarity information: DEADENING used as a noun is very rare.

• DEADENING (adjective)
  The adjective DEADENING has 1 sense:

1. so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

  Familiarity information: DEADENING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEADENING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of making something futile and useless (as by routine)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

constipation; deadening; impairment; stultification

Hypernyms ("deadening" is a kind of...):

debasement; degradation (changing to a lower state (a less respected state))

Derivation:

deaden (make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation)

deaden (become lifeless, less lively, intense, or active; lose life, force, or vigor)

• DEADENING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

Synonyms:

boring; deadening; dull; ho-hum; irksome; slow; tedious; tiresome; wearisome

Context example:

other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome

Similar:

uninteresting (arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement)

 Context examples 

They were far off, but the sound, even though coming muffled through the deadening snowfall, was full of terror.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It had been serviceable in deadening the first shock, without retaining any influence to alarm.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

He envied Joe, down in the village, rampant, tearing the slats off the bar, his brain gnawing with maggots, exulting in maudlin ways over maudlin things, fantastically and gloriously drunk and forgetful of Monday morning and the week of deadening toil to come.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

These were the circumstances and the hopes which gradually brought their alleviation to Sir Thomas, deadening his sense of what was lost, and in part reconciling him to himself; though the anguish arising from the conviction of his own errors in the education of his daughters was never to be entirely done away.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)