damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

1

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration

2

: a device that damps: such as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a small felted block to stop the vibration of a piano string

c

chiefly British : shock absorber

3

Australia : a simple usually unleavened bread of a kind made originally in the Australian bush

Synonyms

• mute

Examples of damper in a Sentence

the pianist used the damper pedal on the piano for the quiet passages

Recent Examples on the Web

Cadillac's marketing materials highlight both the luxury and sporty spirit of this crossover, and the shock dampers needed to live up to those somewhat divergent goals. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 24 Mar. 2025

Despite having stiffer springs versus the MC20, the car offers a ride quality that remains pleasingly supple through retuned Bilstein adaptive dampers, even in sportier drive modes. —Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2025

In simple terms, hydraulic dampers work against the car’s movement through corners to keep it flat and level. —Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

The anti-dive effect of that front suspension is quite noticeable under braking, and in either Normal or Sport mode, the damper settings are well-calibrated for bumpy back roads. —Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing damper

• put a damper on

Rhymes for damper

• camper
• hamper
• pamper
• scamper
• stamper
• tamper

Kids Definition

damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

: one that damps : as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a device (as one of the felt-covered pieces of wood in a piano) used to deaden vibrations or oscillations

c

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration